Crikey readers had a great deal to say about the shadow cast by a new report predicting the extinction of much of the world’s biodiversity. As Bernard Keane and Benjamin Millar pointed out, it puts the comparative irrelevance of the 2019 election into stark relief. On closer fronts, readers discussed the erosion of Labor’s working class base, and threw their support behind novelist Di Morrissey’s community newspaper ambitions.
On the extinction report
Roger Clifton writes: It is grotesque that we should quibble over the cost of cutting emissions when our descendants must suffer destitution from our neglect.
Mary Wood writes: I just hope that all those young voters who enrolled before the marriage equality referendum can see our politics for the terrible short-term thinking that it is. Even on ABC TV news tonight this was well down in reporting — after Morrison being egged, a royal baby and some other crap. Although Labor’s policies on climate change are much less than needed at least they have some. Without a large majority they will have their hands tied with a hostile senate. I can’t see any other hope. Probably the rest of the MSM have not even reported on this at all.
On Labor and the working class
Malcolm Burr writes: I remember years ago talking to my union organiser, who suggested the union movement had achieved virtually everything that could be achieved. He listed four weeks leave, holiday loading, long service leave, 10 days sick leave a year, compassionate leave for things like funerals, regular wage rises and other improvements in working conditions. His point was that when he approached new employees to join the union a number of them would say that there was no need to join a union as the conditions had all been achieved. His worry was that employers would always be ready to turn back the clock if the unions were not vigilant. We saw with Work Choices that this is very true. The main reason for the low union membership now is the need has gone for a big rise in working conditions. If the workers are not careful they will pay the price.
On novelist and newspaper proprietor Di Morrisey
Mungo MacCallum writes: Di Morrisey was, of course, a regular reader of the Byron Shire Echo, the fiercely independent weekly in the region where she lived for many years. As a result, I am happy to send her my own political column for publication when she wants it in future. Watch this space.
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Malcolm Burr, long service leave is not an entitlement won by the union movement. As Wikipedia explains:
“Long service leave was introduced in Australia in the 1860s. The idea was to allow civil servants the opportunity to sail home to England after 10 years’ service in ‘the colonies’.”
Interesting. I see Wikipedia says
“The concept spread beyond the public service over the period 1950 to 1975, mainly as a result of pressure from employees seeking comparability with the public service.”
What was the role of unions in applying “pressure from employees” 1950 to 1975, I wonder, and how much union effort has gone into the preservation of LSL since 1975.
Aahh Mungo, how well I remember reading your valuable contributions in The Drum Online, back in those heady days when the ABC allowed feedback from readers and had the funding to moderate it properly…now I must go to another highly valuable source to catch your good analysis, John Menadue’s Pearls and Irritations.
Hope springs eternal that Labor will restore the ABC to its former glory and welcome you back.