Yoc CAN speed for a week

[Nelso]

They've been offered 4% which is reasonable - not great, just reasonable and probably fair given the current economic climate. They are happy to accept the 4%. But, they don't want to accept some of the other really crap conditions that the government want them to accept. If you read some of the trade offs the government want, you'd understand why they don't want to accept it.

We just went through the same thing but our useless federation accepted the piss poor offer and gave up a heap of conditions that make the job far less attractive. The general public of course don't get told about this when the media sprout on about the "huge" 4% pay increase you are being offered. Personally, I don't think they get payed enough for the shit they have to put up with and I hope they get the full increase.

As for not pulling people over, I got pulled over and defected tonight on the way home because I didn't have mudflaps on the back of my 4wd. I swear he must have just got out of school as he didn't look much older than the kids I teach and had the anxiety of a noob out to make an impression. I wasn't doing anything to attract his attention either, just plodding along and next thing the disco lights are on and he's giving me the lecture about how dangerous it is to not have mudflaps on your car. It's probably a good thing too as it's only a matter of time before the water flicking up off my tyres kills someone. I mean, it hasn't happened in the past few years so it's bound to happen sooner or later according to the law of averages, right? FFS, the day my tyres put out more spray than a semi trailer with all it's mudflaps still intact I'll sell the thing and buy a Prius.

[Naked Twin]

Personally I think this is the most socially responsible strike action ever taken, the police are still working doing there job just not issuing some fines to make a point. The community by enlarge is unaffected unlike when rail or teacher strikes happen. So to compare this strike against others is not looking at the facts.

Nelso, two things. Check that mudflaps are a legal requirement, I remember on falcons a couple of years ago the fleet companies were getting them without them as it was saving $2.

On teaching, you are underpaid, in fact Police, Nurses and teachers are all under paid in my view, if we paid them better we would get a better group or people that would want to take up the offer.

On teachers though you won't get too much sympathy from me about working conditions. How many holidays do you get again a year, 10 - 12 weeks and what hours do you have to work, 9 - 3. Sure you have to check homework and mark tests occasionally (not everyday of every week). Now before you flame me I have 3 friends who are teachers from Primary to high school and I say the same to them. In my job if the sales people fail, my income is affected, if sales overall stay down my head office will ask me to leave. Your whole class can fail but you still get paid the same, you can be the worst teacher and still get a job as a teacher. What better conditions to work under could there be then little or no fear of losing your job. Yes you may not get work at the highest level but still better conditions then I have.

Nick