
Originally Posted by
j.sabourn
#88 Long service leave has been here as long as I’ve been here 31 years , I never got it however as only worked here for 11 years. As regards People’s complaints about the benefits system and its big attraction to the many illegal immigrants , when I came in legally I had to sign a paper saying I was not about to receive any benefits for at least 3 years , and to obtain an Australian pension had to be in their tax system for 11 years also. Which in both cases I did. That’s where all the systems fail in time if laws that are made to protect the people who live there ,are relaxed , more harm to a country is done by the bleeding hearts than enough , my worse wages I have ever received at sea was offshore in stand by boats in the North Sea was variable and was about 31 pounds a day as skipper in 1988 no guaranteed paid leave and that was it. A seaman could receive as little as 16 pounds a day .
So would be as Cappy says interesting to know what is the average today. During my time at sea I have worked for British interests , American, Canadian, Indian, Malaysian, Australian, and others of doubtful pedigree, the lowest was the British and the highest was the Australian,The Indian and the Malaysian were the closest in parity to the Australian, JS