Reciprocity is badly needed.

[boosta]

Do countries other than Australia have this concept of "award wages"?

Where every job has a fixed rate regulated by the government, whether you're in a union or not, no matter where it's located or local business conditions, cost of living differences etc?

[cpofc]

Been involved with the Thai Restaurant business in Melbourne since Thai restaurants first started there in the late 80's. Set up and owned two of them - and worked and managed them daily, not just as a 'partner'. I worked everyday, cleaning, books, and maintenance etc, and I waited tables every night. We had a very low staff turnover rate and every girl that worked for us in our first restaurant went on to open her own. Every single one of them. The Thai grapevine was vast and self regulatory, if an employer was a prick then no one would work for them. Simple. They would go somewhere else, as Thai Restaurants proliferated.

I baled out of the industry over 10 years ago. My wife baled out of the full on thai restaurant business just a few years ago, and now, today, she just runs a small Thai Takeaway in outer suburban Melbourne.

There is/was a lot of give and take when it came to wages and conditions, For a start, many Australian husbands did not want their wives 'on the books' for their own personal Tax reasons, and would only let them work for cash under the table.

For many of the girls it was not just about the money, it was a social outlet for them too. A place to meet other thais and learn from the old hands who had been in Australia for years and knew the ropes My wife mentored many thai girls over the years. As many farangs gravitate to Expat Bars and Enclaves in the LOS, so too many Thai girls would do the same thing in Thai Restaurants in Australia. The girls came and went as they pleased. if they needed to go home to Thailand, as they often did, they could just get up and go on a few days notice. Without having to worry about waiting for 'Leave' entitlements etc. I could go on, but you get the picture.

It was mostly all done on mutual agreements where everyone was happy with their lot.

[simple1]

You'll never change the Thai mentality towards foreigners or farangs as we are known for the simple reason the country is very inward looking.

I put this down to the fact that Thailand is the only country in Southeast Asia never colonised by a European power.

As for reciprocity, can you imagine the queue of Asians trying to get into Australia legally ? Ask any TVer who is trying to get a spouse or fiance visa for their Thai partner - I guarantee you that it entails a lot more than 2 nights in a hotel in Penang or Vientiane.

True, but their is no comparison of rights once the fiancee/spouse is granted for entry to Australia for a Thai national

[wolf5370]

This discussion come up several times a year I think. The problem is that it becomes two discussions: Getting a Visa in the first place ; and settling once here (residency/citizenship).

The former is answered by the fact that, almost universally, it is easier for us westerners to get Thai Visas than the other way around.

The latter is often reversed. Its easier to settle in the west once you have been there a while, learned the culture, worked, earned, married, etc - than it is here as a westerner in LoS.

The answer is that 3rd world countries want tourists and foreign money; are run by limited groups/families of people that worry that wealthier foreigners will buy them out or put them out of business; and have many internal problems with fairly uneducated voters and need a common enemy to blame/(mis/re)direct to/use as a monster-under-the-bed change killer.

Western industrialised countries want immigration - cheap labour (especially skilled and entrepreneurial), younger workforce.

We are never going to be reciprocal unless we are level pegging economically, structurally and to some degree politically - that being the case, we probably wouldn't want to be here and the west would probably not want Thais other than as tourists.

[simple1]

Do countries other than Australia have this concept of "award wages"?

Where every job has a fixed rate regulated by the government, whether you're in a union or not, no matter where it's located or local business conditions, cost of living differences etc?

Not every job in Australia has a set award it applies to certain industry sectors.Their is a current minimum hourly pay in Australia is $15.96 per hour or $606.40 per week, which is peanuts in Australia and award wages would usually be above the minimum hourly rate e.g. hotel room attendant on approx A$20 a hour. A friend of mine works in the coal industry, not a miner, in a remote location with after tax pay of A$8k per month, plus living allowance.

Edited June 18, 2013 by simple1

[ABCer]

Just wanted to say that I am very grateful to almost every poster.

I have learned many things, seen other things from entirely different viewpoints generally feel much better.

Thanks to all for keeping civil, not bickering, not going personal and not being abusive, which is quite common on TV.

[boosta]

Not every job in Australia has a set award it applies to certain industry sectors.Their is a current minimum hourly pay in Australia is $15.96 per hour or $606.40 per week, which is peanuts in Australia and award wages would usually be above the minimum hourly rate e.g. hotel room attendant on approx A$20 a hour. A friend of mine works in the coal industry, not a miner, in a remote location with after tax pay of A$8k per month, plus living allowance.

-

Back when AUD was 70 cents that wasn't such a big deal, but with real wages in the US having fallen so much for unskilled jobs, minimum wage is half that and only union jobs aren't set by the employer, usually not much more than minimum.

So looking great from the worker's POV, but have to say wouldn't want to try to be an entrepreneur competing internationally where labor's a big part of the operational costs.

Minerals and farming, not a problem as long as commodity prices keep up.

[ABCer]

Minimum wages, award wages and real wages are different things.

Minimum - is just this - protects usually unskilled against employers.

Award wages are for some industries - once again as a protection.

The real wages may and often are higher, depending on skills, and depend on employer-worker relations, effectiveness and open to negotiation, i.e. are flexible.

N.B. All this is way off the topic.

Edited June 19, 2013 by ABCer

[MrWorldwide]

We already have a steady supply of people desperate to work in Oz

.http://theconversation.com/tougher-policy-needed-for-new-zealanders-wanting-to-work-in-australia-12007