The Bagman

In the current crises we applaud those that keep this country safe and secure .

Doctors, health care workers, front line paramedics ,doctors receptionist etc, all those employed in the health care system and other emergency workers without any protection from the general public

To those first responders Australia owes a debt of gratitude !!!! But….

We ignore those unsung heroes, those you probably haven’t given a second thought to, those who also keep this country functioning on a daily basis. They’re out there serving us every day. Without them we would be unable to function on a daily basis, but they have been treated as second class citizens by the current and previous Liberal governments.

Yep, you guessed it – truck drivers and shop assistants !!

Shop assistants are the perfect example of being up front and centre now that they have to deal with angry customers who can’t buy toilet paper for example, subject to ongoing abuse without even the minimal protection from the current virus there is no distance requirements as has been afforded to other workers.

Let me get to the problem. Why do these front line troops go home after a long day’s work after confronting the general public and mix with their children, parents or elderly grandparents?

Simply this, they have been subjected to the economic regime of the major employers and the Shop Assistants Union condemning them to low wages and the lowering of penalty rates

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These are the front line troops that have been subjected to the employers’ and unions’ application to Fair Work Australia to reduce their penalty rates successfully . Shameful!!!

Remember the name of Kate Carnell who led the charge of convincing employers and the government to make applications to Fair Work Australia to reduce the already lower paid workers of their penalty rates ,she was rewarded by this government with a plum job as family and small business ombudsman and don’t forget the role of the shop assistants union who were complicit in agreeing to reduce those rates.

Shame on Carnell !!!

It is now up to us to ensure, whatever the the  industrial relations system in the future, that shop assistants or anybody in the same circumstances are never treated as simple workers without recognition who are required to work in dangerous conditions.