Work hard lads

[Glenn Baker]

Absolutely agree with you about the dismal future that existed in the UK in the 60,s and 70,s, My accommadation in those times was the Flying Angel , in betwwen ships that i sailed on, I knew as a person such as I who was classified as an Orphan that my chances of ever owning a small house and holding down a Job ashore was Zilch.

My pay off off various ships only just kept me in food and accommadation until i shipped out again (Broke)
The Best thing i ever did was leave the Shores of Britain, because in those times many things happened in England such as Thatchers sell out, of all Industry, where as in Australia and New Zealand there were jobs and the oppotunities to better oneself.Ill never forget the fact that it truly depended on your circumstances to whom your parents were as to what your future would be.
Out here in Australia you could still complete a good school education and go to University and even finish up as a Prime minister, all these things were impossible in the UK in the 60,s and 70,s

People ought to be absolutely grateful there is a Social Welfare system of some sort in the UK because the crime rate would spiral other wise.

As far as all the Single mother pensions are concerned, society has firmly let themselves down by people no longer getting married and people no longer taking responsibility for their actions.
By people not being interested at Voting time they virtually give the standing Govt Carte Blance in doing what ever they like.

to me as a Person Services to the Population are much more important then Olympics things like Health services unemployment benefits and a standard of decency via Govt Pensions are the least any Govt should provide.

Men joined the Army or the Merchant Navy in the 1930,s just to get three meals a day i dont want to see that ever happen again.

Plus how they treated British War Orphans after the 2nd World War is scandalous and still stands out in my mind vividly, especially when one has to fend for oneself in every way.

I believe there are still streets the same as Coronation street in the UK and thousands of unfortunate English People out of work through no fault of their own.

Its about time every one voted there and got rid of all your freeloaders who look down on those less fortunate, and get Industry moving again with higher taxes on Imported goods, and got purposefull by training young people in the trades instead of leaving them to their own devices, and with no future.
Thats why I came here, because there were fair wages fair oppottunities, and fair Govts who are forced every four years to give the people a fair go.

Finally we must be doing something right as we didnt go into recession when the rest of the World did, instead we spent the bank on keeping people employed, and it worked.

Let us hope that we remain prosperous here regardless of peoples views, If China Implodes then we have problems but in the meantime cherish the prosperity, make the rich pay reasonable taxes. We definitely dont want those poverty days of Britain and their attitude towards the poor over here. all the best Glenn who learnt very quickly in poverty.

[j.sabourn]

Rodney, as your post says it is not always easy to make a large move as emigrating. Its not too bad for us as ex seafarers, personally I could live and probably survive anywhere in the world, as would be willing to accept any job, I dont know about the present day youth though, as some of what I see expect to start at the top or not at all. I heard one youngster here in WA say to my mate who runs a bike shop that he would come in the following week and pay for something that he wanted when he got his pay from Centrelink (Dole Office) he really thought of it as his wages. This is the mentality of some of our youngsters of today and unfortuanetly there is going to be a generation thinking like that. Probably the same as yourself we arrived here with very little money but luckily I had family out here. It took my last few dollars 800 I believe to join the Union. However as I have said the conditions to what I had been used to were excellent and worth every dollar. There were no pubs like Britain which puts a lot of emigrants off as they cant think past what they have been used to, they compare everything in pounds shillings and pence, these are things you forget, and try and live as the country lives.My biggest problem was worrying about the wife, however she took to it like a duck to water, and like myself would never consider returning back to the UK permanetly. Cheers John Sabourn

[Keith at Tregenna]

Carry On; Working Hardly:

Great script for a seventies style Brit movie ?

The jobless UK citizen and the cheap labour seemingly poles apart ?

K.

[happy daze john in oz]

My recent experience of trying to get a job done here convinces me that this country needs a size 9 boot , six laceholes up its ar**e. There is work out there, but a distinct lack of interest. I have a large oak tree in my garden which requires a tree surgeon to work on it, the first local guy came out to give a quote, told me what he would do to the tree, and would get back to me with a quote, 2 weeks, nothing heard, phoned and left a message, nothing heard. No 2 came out, said he would email a quote, 3 weeks, nothing heard. No3 came out, gave a written quote, will phone in a few days, 2 weeks nothing heard. So now come to the conclusion that i need a Polish tree surgeon, regards KT

So you want a Polish tre surgeon to polish off your tree?

[happy daze john in oz]

Glen #109, I do not think the $2 an hour will ever happen here. But the point about wages is all to do with the way teh country operates. In many countries including many African states $2 a day is alot of money and peole survive on it. I agree they may not live as we in the west do but survive they do. I believe a basic wage level has been reached in UK and is about the eqivalent of $10 AUD per hour whislt here in Oz the minimum wage is now $15.60 per hour. Does that mean we are over paid or UK underpaid? No, it should, but does not always, reflect the basic cost of living, just as the $2 per day will in some countries. I am not saying this is all correct and right, but it is a fact that we cannot deny.

[j.sabourn]

They used to call it the Brain Drain in UK according to our great British Press. All the fancy bits of paper did not necessarily constitute a brain to me, the actual person who produced something was and is the brains of a country, not a person waving a piece of paper that anyone with average intelligence and the means to stay and sit in a classroom for a few years could obtain. All the great skills that the British work force had years ago has been slowly eroded away with this so called panic to obtain these in lots of cases useless bits of paper. Most people with a degree in one subject, finish up working in another totally different industry, so whats the point, is it just going backwards to the old class system under a different guise. They would do more good if school students were taught the basic skills of the three R'S before going on to a so called higher education. I suppose it keeps them occupied, as they are certainly not productive to the country at the time of their obtaining credits in a more than probable useless degree. Regards John Sabourn

[Jim Brady]

John there wont be as many going to uni now on some of the stupid things that they went to study,the application figures are down now that it is £9.000PA fees.
Regards.
Jim.B.

[j.sabourn]

Jim, If I was an employer I would far rather employ someone with a Trade Certificate than a more than useless Degree which proves only that the holder attended a University for a number of years, by what I can gather certain parts of same degree would be awarded for good attendance, as certain aspects of actual physical examination like putting pen to paper are considered too traumatic for the poor dears. Most people could sit down and write a Thesis especially in the confines of their own homes. Unless a medical Degree with hands on training and a few other similar type Degrees, a lot of them are to my mind useless. Others with degrees might think otherwise, my own family have degrees these are however in teaching and are necessary to get a position in such profession., also Medical Doctors in family which have to have for professional purposes. As someone wrote about going for a job stacking shelves, and the employer wanting someone with a degree, that speaks millions. This must be some form of snobbery and doesnt say much for the employer. Regards John Sabourn

[Louis the Amigo]

Hi Shipmates, Work in the U.K today I have 3 growed up children, who all done well in school, 2 were graduates from university with degrees ,with hons but they could not get a start in they field, my daughter send off over 500 hunderd letters with copy of C.V not one reply????? So when to new zealand for job teaching for 4 years, My eldest son worked for himself , in computors making and fixing them? that was his side-line {hobby} had loads of work/money for a few years till is stopped cheaper to buy new now, so had to work for someone on wages in a job he hates, They degrees were a waste of my money, then and today no jobs for them !!! My other son youngest no degrees like my self, has never claimed a penny, and has work in many good paying jobs/ and a few not so good since he left school, he can turn his hand to any job allmost , not afraid to do any work as long as they pay him? Bought a house a few years back and sold it at a profit, His brother and sister were still in Universiy studying ? But If the U.K. starts to employ its own people for the good jobs? will it help the people who have degrees? What do you think?

[Rodney Mills]

There have been quite a few posts urging heavy taxation on imported consumer goods, manufactured overseas and exported to the U.K., as a means to generate more jobs for British workers. Do not forget that the U.K. exports many British items ( grown or manufactured) that employ Brits. The unwritten law of quid pro quo states, you tax my exports; I will tax imports from you. So where is the gain? Assuming Imports are equal to exports it's a push at best. Should exports (from the U.K.) be greater than imports, expect British employment lay-offs. And visa versa is not the answer either, not in the universal free market of today.

Cheers, Rodney