Q&A in Geelong tonight

[zilo]

Sad to see so many Ford workers worried about their future...

[Ducati888]

How many are there?

I worked at the Geelong Ford plant in 1989/90. Back then, in the heady days of the EA Falcon and the Capri, the workers were saying "Ford will be gone in ten years". I also worked at Alcoa for a while, and they said the same thing.

They still stayed to the end. In a sense, you could say that they knew they were doomed for over 20 years.

In reality, most of the people in Geelong don't work in Geelong. They commute elsewhere. The true percentage of workers who are affected who are Geelong based is small compared to the population. The closures won't have the city killing impact that's being predicted.

The other thing is, both Alcoa and Ford have quite mature workers, who have been there a long time. Most won't ever need to work again once the redundancies finally come.

The companies that supply them, do the cleaning, the maintenance, the catering, and who rely on daily custom, however, well that's a different story.

[GASWAGON]

Just watched this and its very interesting. I'm not sure how they're going to do it but the gov.are saying they will make news jobs and ther is money in the bank to make the necessary changes for these very upset workers.

Second half starts going on about asylum seekers.....I turned it off not long after.

[nuthin' fancy]

I'm in Geelong and only watched the first 10 minutes.

Politicians just talking the party line, nothing new or innovative to offer.

The guy who asked the second question looked like a stooge for the Labour Party.

I don't envy anyone having a change forced upon them but the Ford (and Alcoa) workers have had plenty of notice and significant resources put to their support. They have to acknowledge that it will take effort from themselves to keep themselves relevant to a new employer.

They are better off than many who turn up to work to find doors closed and the boss missing.

[GASWAGON]

Originally Posted by nuthin' fancy

I'm in Geelong and only watched the first 10 minutes.

Politicians just talking the party line, nothing new or innovative to offer.

The guy who asked the second question looked like a stooge for the Labour Party.

I don't envy anyone having a change forced upon them but the Ford (and Alcoa) workers have had plenty of notice and significant resources put to their support. They have to acknowledge that it will take effort from themselves to keep themselves relevant to a new employer.

They are better off than many who turn up to work to find doors closed and the boss missing.

As one guy said they reckon they have 150 jobs already lined up.....But the total losses of the closure will be something like 800.....How are the gov. going to fix this horrible problem???

[Franco Cozzo]

Originally Posted by EF_6

As one guy said they reckon they have 150 jobs already lined up.....But the total losses of the closure will be something like 800.....How are the gov. going to fix this horrible problem???

The same way they fixed the horrible problem in Tasmania with 19,000 people out of work and 500 jobs.

They didn't.

I'm an ALP supporter but that ALP member on the panel was so full of crap, with his constant talking about nothing.

[GASWAGON]

Originally Posted by Big Damo

The same way they fixed the horrible problem in Tasmania with 19,000 people out of work and 500 jobs.

They didn't.

I'm an ALP supporter but that ALP member on the panel was so full of crap, with his constant talking about nothing.

Wot happened in Tassie B.D to stop 19,000 jobs? All i remember is ACL bearings went broke which would'nt have been that many jobs?

And where are all the mechanics getting their bearings these days now that ACL is finished???

[Franco Cozzo]

Originally Posted by EF_6

Wot happened in Tassie B.D to stop 19,000 jobs? All i remember is ACL bearings went broke which would'nt have been that many jobs?

And where are all the mechanics getting their bearings these days now that ACL is finished???

No idea but thats how many people were out of work in Tasmania at one stage, it was mentioned in an earlier Q & A when Joe Hockey was on the panel.

[Trump]

The big problem with the rhetoric being blown around on Q&A Monday night is where will the long term jobs come from to re-employ the people from Ford and Alcoa. They were notoriously silent and with good reason. Both sides of mainstream politics know full well that a full blown service economy will not absorb every single manufacturing and other jobs that contributes positively to the nation, in fact it won't even come close.

The massive brain drain Australia has experienced and continues unabated has almost singlehandedly ensured that high value niche manufacturing that could employ a lot of people will not happen.

[buggerlugs]

Tell me a full time job in this country that now has job security......................

[Trump]

^ None.

[Bossxr8]

Prison guard.

An increasing ice epidemic will only blow it out even further past the big current expansion in prisoner numbers, and jail re-developments.

[Auslandau]

Watch Q&A every week. Don't know why as I start yelling at the screen! Was the typical show ..... bit like AFF! On topic for the first few questions ..... then off topic with a severe right hand turn talking about Asylum seekers again!

Pyramid for Geelong was worse than what is happening at the moment. Was living there at the time. Main points of difference, it was overnight with no preparation and affected thousands of people instantly. The fall out was not seen coming and was very frightening times for the city!

At the time, it was to be the death of Geelong. Felt like it ..... but people eventually move on though I am sure that many still haven't recovered.

Not saying that one is worse than the other as anyone caught up with Alcoa and Fords closure can be devastating. Just saying that hopefully, those who are involved can and do move on to bigger and better things as most did with Pyramid. Good luck with it all.

And no. Cannot think of any job that would be 100% secure really.

[nuthin' fancy]

Originally Posted by Loud_Noises

^ None.

Mine, I work for myself. If I'm quiet, I get off my backside and drum up some business.

[Adamz Ghia]

I went to Q&A on Monday night. It was an interesting experience, our mayor is a different sort of bloke. One thing that grabbed me was how much the panelists who are politicians or councillors talk but never actually answer the question. One question to Cr Lyons was how he will fix the planning system in Geelong and his response was council was hiring more young people. Was my personal favourite response of the night.

[MercurySilver]

"the panelists who are politicians or councillors talk but never actually answer the question"

they actually are trained how to do that
no full time big job is safe if you work for someone else
my company has closed branches in qld, vic syd and wa in the last 4 years.

we are a global company yet we all keep saying we wont be here in 5 years
the way its looking we'll look like the car industry
sad for everyone
hopefully some questions were answered at the meeting for the poor sods that are out of a job now and the gov actually does something to help them into new industry....but i doubt that will happen

[Adamz Ghia]

Originally Posted by MercurySilver

"the panelists who are politicians or councillors talk but never actually answer the question"

they actually are trained how to do that
no full time big job is safe if you work for someone else
my company has closed branches in qld, vic syd and wa in the last 4 years.

we are a global company yet we all keep saying we wont be here in 5 years
the way its looking we'll look like the car industry
sad for everyone
hopefully some questions were answered at the meeting for the poor sods that are out of a job now and the gov actually does something to help them into new industry....but i doubt that will happen

That's the thing, no questions were answered. Of all the jobs gone from Geelong apparently all of them are to be replaced with 150 jobs at the advance carbon fibre place that's starting up. Go figure...

[Franco Cozzo]

Originally Posted by MercurySilver

hopefully some questions were answered at the meeting for the poor sods that are out of a job now and the gov actually does something to help them into new industry....but i doubt that will happen

The government has been doing stupid **** like promoting fitness qualifications in an industry where everyone is casual and there is no full time work with an over supply of people with qualifications. You might get a few hours of work a week if you're lucky.

I know this because one of my class mates did the whole fitness thing with the qualifications and found out first hand.

Yeah come to sage institute of fitness/massage/michelle bridges/insert name here as the government is funding courses.

Or aged care where they're importing people on 457 Visas to fill the shortage rather than the locals.

All these places exist for is to become an RTO so they can get $$$ from the Government even though they don't do ****.

They don't tell you the government only funds upwards, so if you screw up and do fitness at TAFE at Cert IV level, then if you find you can't get work, you can't go back and do another Cert IV in another field as the government won't subsidise it, so you'll be paying full fee, which is around $5000 at Kangan Institute.

Which unemployed person can afford $5000 to re-educate themselves?

Your next option is to do Diploma which will be subsidised by the government at around $2000, but then you're going into Diploma level without the previous knowledge required from that field gained in Cert IV (as you did fitness instead of X).

Even if you re-educate you don't have experience in that particular field anyway, and if you're in your 50s/60s, forget it because you aren't working again, one of my class mates last year was 63, ex fitter and turner/tool maker out of a job because of back injury, trying to get into another field, no luck too old.

Had a lot of old boys at my previous employment, in their 50s, stuck there because they couldn't get a look-in at anywhere else due to age even though they were the best tradesman/skilled people in the joint.

Just because someone is in their 60s doesn't mean they dont have much left in them, the older guys have a lot of experience and skills and the HR ladies at companies can't see past a number on a piece of paper and some wrinkles.

I've got two 74 year old workmates in my casual employment.

[zilo]

Originally Posted by Adamz Ghia

I went to Q&A on Monday night. It was an interesting experience, our mayor is a different sort of bloke. One thing that grabbed me was how much the panelists who are politicians or councillors talk but never actually answer the question. One question to Cr Lyons was how he will fix the planning system in Geelong and his response was council was hiring more young people. Was my personal favourite response of the night.

I wasn't there but I was 10 kilometres away at home.

I found this babbling baboon of a mayor an absolute embarrassment.

His stupid purple hair statement just blows credibility right from the start.

I tried getting past my initial prejudice...I really wanted to give him a chance.

But his silly fanciful answers were that of an inarticulate, insular and almost childlike salesman.

He seems to think that talking geelong up will solve all our problems.

Well sorry mate we can't all pull café Latte's at the Geelong waterfront.

There are no real jobs for kids in Geelong anymore.

[Adamz Ghia]

Originally Posted by zilo

I wasn't there but I was 10 kilometres away at home.

I found this babbling baboon of a mayor an absolute embarrassment.

His stupid purple hair statement just blows credibility right from the start.

I tried getting past my initial prejudice...I really wanted to give him a chance.

But his silly fanciful answers were that of an inarticulate, insular and almost childlike salesman.

He seems to think that talking geelong up will solve all our problems.

Well sorry mate we can't all pull café Latte's at the Geelong waterfront.

There are no real jobs for kids in Geelong anymore.

I did like the way he shut down the woman who was complaining about spending money on Christmas decorations, I'm fully on his side when it comes to that. But you're right, there aren't much more than words coming from him right now. He have us free parking on weekends then jacked up prices for the rest of the week, how that's supposed to work I will never know.

Least his shirt matched his hair.............

[Bossxr8]

What do you expect from a Liberal party stooge?

And yes, he is a member.

[Struggo]

Originally Posted by Loud_Noises

The big problem with the rhetoric being blown around on Q&A Monday night is where will the long term jobs come from to re-employ the people from Ford and Alcoa. They were notoriously silent and with good reason. Both sides of mainstream politics know full well that a full blown service economy will not absorb every single manufacturing and other jobs that contributes positively to the nation, in fact it won't even come close.

The massive brain drain Australia has experienced and continues unabated has almost singlehandedly ensured that high value niche manufacturing that could employ a lot of people will not happen.

Couldn't agree more Loud Noises.

Watching the incompetent panel quoting an increase in ABN registrations as Geelong's saviour was an out right embarrassment.

[Franco Cozzo]

All of Ford's workers cant work at the same steak house at the beach.

[GASWAGON]

I am worried, and I mean REALLY worried about how this is all going to turn out.....I seriosuly doubt the government will fix this major major problem.

[nuthin' fancy]

Originally Posted by EF_6

I am worried, and I mean REALLY worried about how this is all going to turn out.....I seriosuly doubt the government will fix this major major problem.

Why is up to the Government? The only solution for the workers is for them to find a solution themselves. I'm not saying it will be easy or that it will be what they want but the solution lies in their endeavours. They will have the benefit of far more Government assistance than many in the same circumstance.

Sitting there crying in your weeties, throwing away your payout on the pokies and blaming everyone else (Govt included) won't result in a better outcome.

[GASWAGON]

Originally Posted by nuthin' fancy

Why is up to the Government? The only solution for the workers is for them to find a solution themselves. I'm not saying it will be easy or that it will be what they want but the solution lies in their endeavours. They will have the benefit of far more Government assistance than many in the same circumstance.

Sitting there crying in your weeties, throwing away your payout on the pokies and blaming everyone else (Govt included) won't result in a better outcome.

Ye I get that. I have suggested before that it maybe better to just leave (take red. package) before everyone else does and get a new job before waiting in the cue so to speak come 2016/17.

[Adamz Ghia]

Originally Posted by nuthin' fancy

Why is up to the Government? The only solution for the workers is for them to find a solution themselves. I'm not saying it will be easy or that it will be what they want but the solution lies in their endeavours. They will have the benefit of far more Government assistance than many in the same circumstance.

Sitting there crying in your weeties, throwing away your payout on the pokies and blaming everyone else (Govt included) won't result in a better outcome.

It's the job of the government to create an environment where business will hire workers. Unfortunately we've had 6 years of the worst government in history and from what we've seen of the current crop they are better but that's like saying cauliflower is better than broccoli.

Currently the government is pulling funding for industries left right and centre. Now that's all well and good but they have no plan to replace it. You wouldn't quit your job without having another ready to go but that's what they've done. And 100 jobs here, 50 jobs there isn't going to cut it.