40 Million Pay Rise?

[KiwiCol]

News down this neck of the woods - you UK guys are giving the Queen a big pay rise, 40 million! - UK must be doing well then, or is this something to do with Brexit & there's plenty of dosh around?

[Podfather]

It's the first instalment to pay for the refurbishment of Buck House
Total will be £260 million extra

[VladTepes]

It's quite reasonable when you work it out on a $ per Corgi basis....

[KiwiCol]

260 Million for a state house refurb??   Geez, couldn't you guys build a few new ones for that amount? 

[Kiwifruit]

Col imagine how much it could be..........they are only doing the curtains and carpet. 

[gsxbarmy]

Actually its only £6M she's getting http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-40412343 - bummer eh?

[bigian14]

How the hell is she going to survive?  She'll be using food banks next!!

[VladTepes]

Only 65p per citizen....  pretty good value I'd reckon, if just for the entertainment Phil provides....

[Rynglieder]

I can see and fully understand that you can't get your heads round this if you are south of the equator so I suppose you are owed an explanation:

Thats how much building work costs up here. We have bred a generation that want to work in IT, finance, nail bars or cut each others hair. No one wants to get their hands dirty.

The problem was solved for a time by bringing in skilled European workers but unfortunately that have now been in the country for a while and have learned to read the Daily Mail and suddenly started to think they are not wanted. Not may more are coming over and a lot are planning to leave now they feel so unloved.

So we are down to having six white British born workers left in the construction industry and they can charge what the bloody hell they like.

That's why Her Madge needs the cash. (But is there any chance she could be paid in Euros cos' Sterling is not worth much these days.

I hope that helps.

Pete.

[Notty]

I can see and fully understand that you can't get your heads round this if you are south of the equator so I suppose you are owed an explanation:

Thats how much building work costs up here. We have bred a generation that want to work in IT, finance, nail bars or cut each others hair. No one wants to get their hands dirty.

The problem was solved for a time by bringing in skilled European workers but unfortunately that have now been in the country for a while and have learned to read the Daily Mail and suddenly started to think they are not wanted. Not may more are coming over and a lot are planning to leave now they feel so unloved.

So we are down to having six white British born workers left in the construction industry and they can charge what the bloody hell they like.

That's why Her Madge needs the cash. (But is there any chance she could be paid in Euros cos' Sterling is not worth much these days.

I hope that helps.

Pete.

well put Pete 

[Tony Nitrous]

You not a million miles away from describing Australia too.

When I migrated I was a manager in a large print business.
I had worked my way up over 20 years in the trade.
I did my application through an agency that was run by ex AU Government staff. They knocked my application back and told me to rip it up and re-do it as a printer. A role that was more hands on and physical but in some ways less skilled. They said apply as a worker and not a manager!

At the time I applied on the skills list was hairdressers, I joked "can no one in AU cut hair? LOL"     The answer was that no one wants a low paid job where they are on their feet all day with limited chance of promotion. 


My 2 step kids are very intelligent, to the extent that one was offered $4000 "signing up bonus" from a specific Uni before she even got her final school grades as they wanted her on their books!   The same kid can't drive a manual car and isn't interested in learning, and struggles with basic stuff like changing a light bulb. 

The others thing that is and will f#ck up the workforce is drugs / Meth.
Place near me starts guys on $26 (£15.30) hour, no previous experience.
Everyone knows that they do drug test, and yet staff still fail them and get the boot!

[Rynglieder]

You not a million miles away from describing Australia too.

When I migrated I was a manager in a large print business.
I had worked my way up over 20 years in the trade.
I did my application through an agency that was run by ex AU Government staff. They knocked my application back and told me to rip it up and re-do it as a printer. A roll that was more hands on and physical but in some ways less skilled. They said apply as a worker and not a manager!

At the time I applied on the skills list was hairdressers, I joked "can no one in AU cut hair? LOL"     The answer was that no one wants a low paid job where they are on their feet all day with limited chance of promotion. 


My 2 step kids are very intelligent, to the extent that one was offered $4000 "signing up bonus" from a specific Uni before she even got her final school grades as they wanted her on their books!   The same kid can't drive a manual car and isn't interested in learning, and struggles with basic stuff like changing a light bulb. 

The others thing that is and will f#ck up the workforce is drugs / Meth.
Place near me starts guys on $26 (£15.30) hour, no previous experience.
Everyone knows that they do drug test, and yet staff still fail them and get the boot!

I'm genuinely surprised by that last bit, I didn't associate Australia with drugs problems but I suppose the tentacles reach everywhere.

Is drug testing by employers commonplace or is it just some more sensitive industries?

[KiwiCol]

FYI, in NZ, it's more common than not, for most job vacancies to stipulate candidates must be able to pass a drug & alcohol test to prior to appointment, and this is for road crews - Stop/Go sign holders too!!

[Tony Nitrous]

Is drug testing by employers commonplace or is it just some more sensitive industries?

Not entirely sure.

I'm working at the Port and its normal here.

I previously worked at the BP Oil refinery where random testing was normal.

I looked after the yard and vehicles for a traffic control company for a while and both they and some of their customers did random drug testing.

Mates don't seem to mention testing in other jobs as much, but drugs / Meth is a very real problem here in Australia.

[Kiwifruit]

As i've said before meth is a big problem here, its easier to get than cannabis.
Drug testing is becoming more common in the workplace. So if you can't pass a drugs test you can always go on the benefit (dole) as its not drug tested. People are not happy when mentioning drug testing for beneficiaries.
I would have thought that should be the first thing to happen before getting a government handout !!