The Eureka Flag Does A Back Flip.
The Victorian Government has moved to ban union logos and insignia that imply compulsory union membership from government work sites. These rules will apply in the Baillieu Government's new code of conduct for all government funded construction sites. Source - The Age
Who are the CMFEU and the BLF to claim this iconic flag as their own? Surely this flag belongs to every Australian, not just a group of bullies, shoving people around to line their own pockets.
I understand the line they are trying to draw. I.E. the poor, down trodden masses rebelling against unjust authority. However this does not quite fit the picture these days and young Australians seeing that flag today, flying from a crane on an inner-city construction site, would be associating it with a totally wrong set of values.
The Eureka Stockade had nothing to do with unions and militants grabbing a bigger slice of the pie and trying to rule the construction industry. It was all about a group of self employed miners in the 1800s mining boom, objecting to being taxed (By way of a Miners Licence) by the colonial government, to dig precious minerals from our sovereign soil (Gold). Source - Wikipedia
Now doesn't that seem a little ironic? The Julia Gillard Government (AKA The Unions), is imposing a giant new tax on today's self employed miners to take precious metals from our sovereign soil and the Eureka Flag waving unions are supporting her all the way, so that they can get their share of the 2000s mining boom. Doesn't that mean that they jumped the fence?
The Eureka Miners would be turning in their graves.
2 comments:
Stang,
Don't be a journalist, tell the whole story.
The Eureka Stockade, was one of the first events that could be catzgorized as collective action, a group of like minded people working together for the better of a greater group. An organised action against an organisation, (government) who were proposing to create wealth from something that they otherwise wouldnt benefit from. Not a tax as you stated, but a licence for mining, and a cost that they would not get anything for, just a simple donation to the government, and for what, nothing.
Hence the relation to todays union movement, organisations that join workers and represent not only members, (unfortunately) but all workers. State and federal awards, which outline a workers basic entitlements didnt come from the generosity of our kind governments, but from the hard work and sacrifice of people like our forefathers, who went without, and endured hardship for YOUR better lifestyle, organised by OUR unions.
I dont expect you to understand, because you turn up to work, with your conditions already set out, no need to think where they came from, no need to reflect on our 38 hour week and its history, no need to ask where the minimum wage came from. But believe me, there are many individuals and organisations out there today fighting for your grandchildrens future, to maintain our conditions and better their future.
We dont think twice about voting for governments that are happy to degregate our conditions, and undermining the hard work and sacrifice that out fathers, grandfathers faught for.
We celebrate the freedom we have that was fought for by our servicemen and the sacrifices they made, but what of the men who lost their lives fighting at the eureka stockade?
95% of our children do not know what our May Day, Labour Day public holiday is for, due to the fact theor parents have failed to educate them. Maybe some of us need more education.
Let me put it another way. I bet Stang, you get sick of freeloaders turning up to BBQ's without a beer, and expect to drink yours, without even a thank you, as if the beers are grown on trees in your back yard, and grow wild without any work on your behalf. Unfortunately they dont come that easy, neither do wage rates, penalty rates, paid holiday and sick leave, 38 hour week and every other entitlment "workers" get.
From what I understand, the mining magnates, the unimaginably massive companies the make rediculous amounts of profit are the ones that are being taxed. Hopefully some of those taxes will now stay on our own shores, instead of disappearing offshore. Not taxes on the people who work hard for the benefit of the multi national companies.
Eureka Miners would be proud of the new generations for flying their flag, and continuing to take a stand and fight governments for what would otherwise be taken away.
Mate I'll take your points one at a time.
1. The whole story is told on Wikipedia, that's why I included a link, so people who are interested can get the facts without me giving a history lesson.
2. I'm sorry you don't see the similarities between the gold miners and today's resource miners. They both dug/dig for resources in land that they don't own but lease, for resources that belong to Australia. In fact it is easier today to share in the wealth coming out of the ground than it was then. You can buy shares in the mining companies,you can go work for them for outrageous wages (Compared to the rest of Australia) or you can build a business on the edges and supply their needs (for outrageous rates), from equipment to food, accommodation, beer etc. Or you can now gain the benefit by just sitting on your arse in the city without lifting a finger or risking any investment at all,time or money, the government will bring the money to you.
If you think the Gold miners, (most of whom were not Australian), should have been able to claim all of the gold without sharing the wealth with the rest of Australia, why can't today's miners, no matter their size. I'm not saying which is wrong or which is right,I'm just pointing out the hypocrisy.
3. Mate, I still work 50 hours per week plus, trying to make a quid and am happy to do so. I have negotiated or approved every pay rate and condition I have ever worked for and if I wasn't happy, I went and worked somewhere else, I didn't spit the dummy and call my mates to blackmail the boss. Unions have certainly had their place over the years, but it is debatable whether some of the perks you mentioned are a good thing or a bad thing. They certainly don't help small businesses to create employment. We are happy to live in a free society where we can buy the best products at the best price because of free competition, why should our labour be different. If we don't work hard enough or are not good at our job, we get the sack. If the company we work for does not come up to our standards we work somewhere else. My simple philosophy.Let the market determine the worth.
4. If people turn up to my BBQ enough times without beer and drink mine, they don't get invited again.
6. This was just a piece to say I don't believe the two unions mentioned should be using the Eureka Flag and claiming it as there own,and I still maintain that view. The Eureka Stockade had more to do with creating democracy than an "Us against Them" attitude. If those unions are so accomplished, why don't they create their own flags and stand on their own?
7. The list of BLF wrong doings is very long, so please don't sully the name of our soldiers by comparing them,they don't represent anyone but themselves.
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