The Brave New World of Serf Choices
30/03/2006 12:36 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
izmeinaAfter the last week or so of the mad house - triggered off by the antics of a particularly pathetic poltergeist, the Iz seems to be slowly recovering.
Due to a combination of staff cut backs - thanks to the stingineses of the greedy bitch goblin owner - and a new batch of particularly high maintenance residents, work has just been total chaos in the last few weeks or so.
This morning, decides it's a perfect day for snoozing in the sun and listening to Reichstag Radio. Not working until 5pm so we can dawdle around a bit before heading off to the shops around 2ish or so to get provisions for tomorrow.
The Iz has been a bit of a news junkie lately. Cynical serpent that she is - even the Izzie did not believe that the scum in the pond of Australian employers would be so unrestrained and unfettered in taking advantage of the dawn of the new Dark Ages of industrial relations. Figured that it would be a bit of a sleeper and we would not see much happen in the first six months while they crawled out of the cauldron, stretched their long spidery fingers and tested their new found powers.
The Izzie turns up to start work at 3pm and is sitting outside before starting time with the Prince of Darkness (one of our favorite coworkers and partners in crime) Iz hears some screaming shrieking voice saying something along the lines "Fucking bloody this and bloody fucking that" and wonders disgustedly just what on earth Miss Piggie is ranting and raving about this time. (Miss Piggie is the proprieter and spends all her time lurking and meddling instead of trusting the Director of Nursing to run the place properly. She is infamous for going around personally turning off airconditioners - even in the middle of a 37 celsius day)
We found out later that she had been screaming at the registered nurse on afternoon duty who she had accused of taking a lampshade from the library room to a new resident who had requested a light for reading. All this nurse's protestations were to no avail. She took it from an empty room - not the library but the bitch was not having a bar of this. The bitch is a total bully. Deidre - the registered nurse in question is a beautiful soul but as soft as butter and almost has the word 'doormat' tattooed on her forehead. Registered nurses are a most rare commodity indeed and can earn far more working with agencies or in hospitals than in pissy private nursing homes. Most others would have told her to stick her fucking bloody lampshade up her arse and walked out but not Deidre. She was very upset but put up with this shit like she always does.
Three hours later on the news, came the first stories of the sackings around the country. Of course - folks get sacked all the time and it never makes the news but what made these different - all had the distinction that they would not have happened the previous week because the employees would still have had the protection of the unfair dismissal laws. Another thing they had in common - while supposedly incompetent enough to be sacked, the employers would be quite happy to give them their job backs but only as contracters with infinitely less pay and conditions.
Yesterday, around 5pm, the Izzie was walking past the main office when we heard a voice calling out from the toilet opposite. One of the residents had gone in there and shat herself silly and wanted help . So, the Iz went and got her all cleaned up and the toilet as well. Just as she is leaving the toilet, Miss Piggie comes out of the office hand on hips and shouts at the Iz "Was it really necessary for you to bring her into that toilet?" "Iz replied at a slightly lower decibel range but mustering as much contempt and hatred as possible without being down right abusive "I did NOT bring her in here. She came in here by herself" Somewhat taken aback, the bitch replies something along the lines "No need to get upset - I was only asking in a friendly manner" Iz could have been a bitch and said "Yesss - we guess so. Not using the words 'fucking bloody bitch' is the essence of politeness for the likes of you"
Not quite sure what our reply was - but what lacked in words, we more than made up for with tone and the look of utter murderous rage we gave her. It's funny - maybe - replying to her in almost the identical tone that she used in her first accusation - may just possibly have made her realise just how offensive she was being because the encounter by her standards was a back off.
But you know - seeing the evening news one hour later when the Minister for House Elf Relations was forced to admit that a worker could be sacked merely because of a personality clash or if the boss found them too abrasive - Izzie sniggers - yeah right. But what if it is the boss who is the bull in the China shop with the manners of a sewer rat.
The fact is - simply standing up to her abuse like the Iz did yesterday - is now a sackable offence.
The really scary thing is not whether she does sack you or not but merely the possibility that she might. (Funny - most bullies turn out to be the sort of people who respect those who stand up to them and despise those who don't)
We will soon have a culture of self censorship where folks will try second guess the reaction of the boss to certain behaviours - like - just got our pay check and they did not pay us the higher Sunday rate. Better not ask or we might get sacked. Or - we worked 70 hours and they only paid us 50, shall we say something and risk losing our job or just swallow the losses. And as for making complaints about occupational health and safety or inadequate staffing levels or that Fluffy Bunny has not being doing her job properly - not a hope in hell. Oh and don't even dream of slipping on a wet floor or putting in a compo claim if one of the residents beats the shit out of you when you are trying to shower and dress him.
Rang the ma today and the first question she asks "Has anyone been sacked yet" It truly is a most disgusting situation indeed. And today - missed the first few minutes of Question time on Reichstag Radio so we did not get to hear who was answering the first question - but oh - did not take the Iz too long at all to work out that it was the Rodents' very own Rottweiler - the most dishonorable Eric Abetz. Iz sees him as future leader of the 'liberal' party if not Prime Mendacious - heaven help us all - he will make the present rat look like Father Christmas. Abetz is the meanest, leanest, snarkiest nastiest bastard that the Iz has ever set ears on. The voice - always so full of hatred and vindictiveness. True evil personified. He tears all opposition to shreds with vicious personal attacks and never ever condescends to actually answering a question. Must so so put together a sample of his snarkilicious sneers.
Well, he can smirk and swagger all he likes about the Rodent's impeccable economic management credentials (Don't even get us started on that one) and how the sky has not yet fallen in. But when the sackings reach epidemic proportions and work place cultures are slowly poisoned with fear and pay and conditions whittled away - when the banks start refusing loans (or charging higher rates to compensate for increased risk) because now nearly all Australians will have employment security along the same low status as traditionally reserved for the self employed and the housing boom slowly but surely comes to an end as the mortgagee sales flood the market, then we will see what he has to say
Wonders if it is coincidence that the spooks are now looking for extensions to their sunset clauses granting them ridiculous Patriot Act style powers.
Yesss. And the Rat, Ruddock and the Rottweiler still have the sedition laws up their sleeves for those uppity house elves inciting and encouraging illegal acts such as going to jail rather than paying the ridiculous new fines in these draconian laws.
To explain in more detail - a scary snippet from that nest of treacherous vipers - Radio National
There is another sedition-related offence that should also be remarked upon. If a person who is an office bearer in an organisation says something to which a seditious intention may be attributed, he or she opens that organisation to prohibition.
And what is a sedition intention? It means, among other things, to urge a change in the law by other than lawful means. Taken literally this would mean that the advocacy of civil disobedience would be outlawed at a stroke.
I think here of a speech given by Greg Combet, the Secretary of the ACTU some months ago. In that speech he suggested, with considerable gravity, that trade unionists would go to jail rather than comply with some aspects of the government's new industrial relations legislation. These words might be seen as encouraging or condoning illegal protest. Mr Combet may need to be more circumspect in the future.
And it is worth dwelling on circumspection for a moment. For perhaps the most significant but least recognised danger of these new, sweeping laws is not that of prosecution, but rather of self-censorship. The risk is that those who engage publicly, legitimately and sometimes forcefully in debate with the government will be tempted to trim the sails of their rhetoric or performance. This is not because one might think that a prosecution is either justified or likely to be successful, but because one will not wish to court the possibility of prosecution and trial, with all of its uncertainty and expense, at all.
source
Due to a combination of staff cut backs - thanks to the stingineses of the greedy bitch goblin owner - and a new batch of particularly high maintenance residents, work has just been total chaos in the last few weeks or so.
This morning, decides it's a perfect day for snoozing in the sun and listening to Reichstag Radio. Not working until 5pm so we can dawdle around a bit before heading off to the shops around 2ish or so to get provisions for tomorrow.
The Iz has been a bit of a news junkie lately. Cynical serpent that she is - even the Izzie did not believe that the scum in the pond of Australian employers would be so unrestrained and unfettered in taking advantage of the dawn of the new Dark Ages of industrial relations. Figured that it would be a bit of a sleeper and we would not see much happen in the first six months while they crawled out of the cauldron, stretched their long spidery fingers and tested their new found powers.
The Izzie turns up to start work at 3pm and is sitting outside before starting time with the Prince of Darkness (one of our favorite coworkers and partners in crime) Iz hears some screaming shrieking voice saying something along the lines "Fucking bloody this and bloody fucking that" and wonders disgustedly just what on earth Miss Piggie is ranting and raving about this time. (Miss Piggie is the proprieter and spends all her time lurking and meddling instead of trusting the Director of Nursing to run the place properly. She is infamous for going around personally turning off airconditioners - even in the middle of a 37 celsius day)
We found out later that she had been screaming at the registered nurse on afternoon duty who she had accused of taking a lampshade from the library room to a new resident who had requested a light for reading. All this nurse's protestations were to no avail. She took it from an empty room - not the library but the bitch was not having a bar of this. The bitch is a total bully. Deidre - the registered nurse in question is a beautiful soul but as soft as butter and almost has the word 'doormat' tattooed on her forehead. Registered nurses are a most rare commodity indeed and can earn far more working with agencies or in hospitals than in pissy private nursing homes. Most others would have told her to stick her fucking bloody lampshade up her arse and walked out but not Deidre. She was very upset but put up with this shit like she always does.
Three hours later on the news, came the first stories of the sackings around the country. Of course - folks get sacked all the time and it never makes the news but what made these different - all had the distinction that they would not have happened the previous week because the employees would still have had the protection of the unfair dismissal laws. Another thing they had in common - while supposedly incompetent enough to be sacked, the employers would be quite happy to give them their job backs but only as contracters with infinitely less pay and conditions.
Yesterday, around 5pm, the Izzie was walking past the main office when we heard a voice calling out from the toilet opposite. One of the residents had gone in there and shat herself silly and wanted help . So, the Iz went and got her all cleaned up and the toilet as well. Just as she is leaving the toilet, Miss Piggie comes out of the office hand on hips and shouts at the Iz "Was it really necessary for you to bring her into that toilet?" "Iz replied at a slightly lower decibel range but mustering as much contempt and hatred as possible without being down right abusive "I did NOT bring her in here. She came in here by herself" Somewhat taken aback, the bitch replies something along the lines "No need to get upset - I was only asking in a friendly manner" Iz could have been a bitch and said "Yesss - we guess so. Not using the words 'fucking bloody bitch' is the essence of politeness for the likes of you"
Not quite sure what our reply was - but what lacked in words, we more than made up for with tone and the look of utter murderous rage we gave her. It's funny - maybe - replying to her in almost the identical tone that she used in her first accusation - may just possibly have made her realise just how offensive she was being because the encounter by her standards was a back off.
But you know - seeing the evening news one hour later when the Minister for House Elf Relations was forced to admit that a worker could be sacked merely because of a personality clash or if the boss found them too abrasive - Izzie sniggers - yeah right. But what if it is the boss who is the bull in the China shop with the manners of a sewer rat.
The fact is - simply standing up to her abuse like the Iz did yesterday - is now a sackable offence.
The really scary thing is not whether she does sack you or not but merely the possibility that she might. (Funny - most bullies turn out to be the sort of people who respect those who stand up to them and despise those who don't)
We will soon have a culture of self censorship where folks will try second guess the reaction of the boss to certain behaviours - like - just got our pay check and they did not pay us the higher Sunday rate. Better not ask or we might get sacked. Or - we worked 70 hours and they only paid us 50, shall we say something and risk losing our job or just swallow the losses. And as for making complaints about occupational health and safety or inadequate staffing levels or that Fluffy Bunny has not being doing her job properly - not a hope in hell. Oh and don't even dream of slipping on a wet floor or putting in a compo claim if one of the residents beats the shit out of you when you are trying to shower and dress him.
Rang the ma today and the first question she asks "Has anyone been sacked yet" It truly is a most disgusting situation indeed. And today - missed the first few minutes of Question time on Reichstag Radio so we did not get to hear who was answering the first question - but oh - did not take the Iz too long at all to work out that it was the Rodents' very own Rottweiler - the most dishonorable Eric Abetz. Iz sees him as future leader of the 'liberal' party if not Prime Mendacious - heaven help us all - he will make the present rat look like Father Christmas. Abetz is the meanest, leanest, snarkiest nastiest bastard that the Iz has ever set ears on. The voice - always so full of hatred and vindictiveness. True evil personified. He tears all opposition to shreds with vicious personal attacks and never ever condescends to actually answering a question. Must so so put together a sample of his snarkilicious sneers.
Well, he can smirk and swagger all he likes about the Rodent's impeccable economic management credentials (Don't even get us started on that one) and how the sky has not yet fallen in. But when the sackings reach epidemic proportions and work place cultures are slowly poisoned with fear and pay and conditions whittled away - when the banks start refusing loans (or charging higher rates to compensate for increased risk) because now nearly all Australians will have employment security along the same low status as traditionally reserved for the self employed and the housing boom slowly but surely comes to an end as the mortgagee sales flood the market, then we will see what he has to say
Wonders if it is coincidence that the spooks are now looking for extensions to their sunset clauses granting them ridiculous Patriot Act style powers.
Yesss. And the Rat, Ruddock and the Rottweiler still have the sedition laws up their sleeves for those uppity house elves inciting and encouraging illegal acts such as going to jail rather than paying the ridiculous new fines in these draconian laws.
To explain in more detail - a scary snippet from that nest of treacherous vipers - Radio National
There is another sedition-related offence that should also be remarked upon. If a person who is an office bearer in an organisation says something to which a seditious intention may be attributed, he or she opens that organisation to prohibition.
And what is a sedition intention? It means, among other things, to urge a change in the law by other than lawful means. Taken literally this would mean that the advocacy of civil disobedience would be outlawed at a stroke.
I think here of a speech given by Greg Combet, the Secretary of the ACTU some months ago. In that speech he suggested, with considerable gravity, that trade unionists would go to jail rather than comply with some aspects of the government's new industrial relations legislation. These words might be seen as encouraging or condoning illegal protest. Mr Combet may need to be more circumspect in the future.
And it is worth dwelling on circumspection for a moment. For perhaps the most significant but least recognised danger of these new, sweeping laws is not that of prosecution, but rather of self-censorship. The risk is that those who engage publicly, legitimately and sometimes forcefully in debate with the government will be tempted to trim the sails of their rhetoric or performance. This is not because one might think that a prosecution is either justified or likely to be successful, but because one will not wish to court the possibility of prosecution and trial, with all of its uncertainty and expense, at all.
source
