Hi All, Hope this post doesn’t annoy too many. Just wondering in general what’s the main reasons motivating so many Brits to want to leave our shores. Also for people not sure or having second thoughts, just pause for a moment and look around you. O.K we all have a moan about the weather, but be honest unless its for health reasons, I cant really be having that as a genuine reason! A new life down under sounds great but as we all know getting in can be a daunting task (even though supposedly we have the same head of state) So why put ourselves through it? I know some people who think the whole process makes them feel humiliated and almost as if their grovelling to be included in the promised land. NOT MY WORDS HONEST. Well here’s a thought which I hope helps any doubters. My wife joined me in the UK from overseas 5 years ago. I told her Britain was great and we set out on a wonderful life together. :D
Now, 5 years on, we and especially myself, can not believe the deterioration here in the UK. This was brought home to me yesterday watching the breakfast news hearing of a taxi driver shot dead in Sheffield. But worse was to come by tea time, a Vicar, no more than 8 mile away from us in a quiet small village stabbed to death in his church yard. Where is this country going? I am staggered now by the amount of violence, unsocial behaviour and aggravation everywhere. Add on the cost of living, a failing education system, a broken health service, a society obsessed with fame and gold and all in all, this country has had it. Forget politics Labour or Tory, neither will change things, its gone too far now. Even this morning’s news starts off with another teenager stabbed to death in London, just another murder!! And we moan about having to wait a few months for a case officer, - puts everything into perspective. I dread to think where Britain will be in another 5 to 10 years time. Either way, Australia accepted or not, we won't be staying here.
So anyone having doubts, second thoughts or being held by family ties and close friends, take the bull by the horns and focus on your goals. I’m not naive enough to think that Australia doesn’t have problems, of course they do. But we are just hoping the life there is more inspiring, more genuine and more respectful and peaceful than what has been allowed to develop here. That's the overwhelming impression we both felt when we visited last year. I’m sure it can be, so lets just hope we all make it and keep motivating and helping each other. We offer our thoughts and prayers for all those and their families who I have referred to in this post
Hear hear Redaussies
I am English thru and thru and have always stood up for our values and beliefs..I am lost now in a country that has neither..
People can only take so much, can only fight so hard before realising no matter how hard you fight to keep afloat, our government will bleed us dry..
I am all for high taxes, high costs of living if I get just a little back..But alas that isnt the case here..
I am a stranger in England and this post isnt meant to offend anyone..I do not believe for one minute that living in Australia will be easy, I am not saying that we will have riches thrown at us, but we will both work hard, and give to Australia hopefully something..In return we can sleep easy at night, and wake to beautiful mornings in a country that is caring and will always help its own above anyone else..
I never thought I would ever see the day that I would be ashamed of my country, but alas that day has come
hi all in a nut shell this country is knackered. i really wonder what the grand plan for the uk is. the powers that be have ruined this country over the last 30 years. the tories smashed our manufacturing industries, steel, coal, shipbuilding etc,(something unique in the western world, most countries have 'downsized' these industries but us!!!...), which has created mass unemployment and a creation of an under class that will never contribute to society and most large towns have them(most ex mining villages in the north east a lot of the ex miners have never worked since, they are on permanent disability). i served a four year apprenticeship,(steel fabricator), and i have seen the state of heavy industry go down the toilet. at 37 i have worked for numerous companies that have gone bust or 'offshored', really gone somewhere where they can pay a £1 per hour. i have worked at my current firm for 2 and a half years and i am still classed as a temporary worker!!!!!.
the current idiots running the country opted out of the maximum 48 hour week,(unlike a lot of our european neighbours), so workers are now pressurised into working overtime. i know in oz i'll have to work hard but with award wages and the fact that they still manufacture things in oz will give me a better chance of making a living.
in my trade it is not uncommon to be made redundant,(goes with the territory, i have had 40 jobs +), then you go to sign on and you get £55, no wages related earnings dole in the uk, doesn't matter that you have just worked 6 nights out of 7 for 6 months on £600 per week, they want you to sign on once a fortnight and tell them what you are doing about work, then they'll give you your money. whilst next to you in the job shop some scum bag is demanding more benefits 'cos we've got another bairn on the way', i have expererienced this!!!!.
i am an ordinary chap who wants to go to work and earn money for the essential things in life, i don't really care if the local underclass are getting ££££ a week on benefits along as it doesn't impact on me. what are the real numbers of people not working in this country?, ie:not putting in just taking out, why do we have a strong economy?, we don't make anything anymore. immigration is in chaos, high taxes,high crime, what is this country going to be like in 20 years time?. well hopefully my wife and i won't find out cos where off.
i have a friend who lives in perth wa, and has done for the last 12 years he came back in 2002, and said uk seemed much the same. he returned again in 2006 and said 'what the hell has happened!'. i don't really know what he thought had changed but in my opinion everyone from every walk of life in the uk is thinking 'what the hell has happened'.
well thats my rant overhopefully soon we will be in the illawarra region of nsw.
I cannot tell you how much I agree with all everyone has just said. Britain has beaten my husband and I, we can't take anymore. Nail on the coffin was when my current Council job was re-evaluated to bring us into line with fair wages. My salary was cut by £2,000! I have had enough, it scared me to think what kind of a future my kids would have here. We dont mind working hard, but its seems the harder you work the more you suffer and the more the government takes from you. A new life in Brisbane awaits myself, my husband and kids (8 and 14) and I cant wait. Anyone heading there soon?
I just wanted to add something to everything everyone has said. We left the UK two years ago for France because of the exact reasons everyone has stated. I was working part time, my husband was working 24/7 some weeks (literally!) and we still only had just enough to pay the bills because everything kept going up. Aside from the yob culture and lack of respect that youths have for their elders (which not even America puts up with!) and an all round feeling of dejection we did the best thing we ever could for our two children and left the UK. However, we aren't particularly happy in France, although the living is easier and we have more money, it's just not right. Are we contemplating moving back to the UK - NO WAY!!!!! That's why I am on this forum because we are now going for Australia. We know that we did the right thing for us and our kids leaving the UK, I strongly believe that ANYWHERE is better than there. It's a scary place to be bringing your kids up and it's only going to get worse. Of course there are pros and cons to everywhere but there are definitely more cons in the UK than anywhere else.
Hopefully, our dreams will eventually be realised in Australia.............
Johnd
The only thing making our economy 'strong' is the amount of debt people are in.
As people have less and less disposable income, more credit is offered to them and hence the spending continues.
The UK is b**lxed forever unfortunately.
Gary
the country opted out of the maximum 48 hour week,(unlike a lot of our european neighbours), so workers are now pressurised into working overtime. i know in oz i'll have to work hard but with award wages and the fact that they still manufacture things in oz will give me a better chance of making a living.
Firstly I wouldn't live anywhere else than Australia (at least that I know of) & would recommend it to anyone.
A few facts relating to working conditions in manufacturing in Australia.
You will be paid for a 38/40 hour week but expected to work at least 50 & unless you're employed as a basic skilled/unskilled worker you'll do it without O/T pay. So don't go getting promoted unless you're prepared to lose money.... at least for a good few years.
If the company you work for has an EBA (enterprise bargaining agreement) you'll probably not be covered by it for period of time... often about 2 years.
Award wages & EBA's are now dead or dying & are to be replaced with AWA's (Australaian Workplace Agreements) or called "WorkChoices" by the spin doctors. In theory you will enter into individual negotiations with you're employer on an equal 'one to one' basis & compile your work contract including pay & all conditions (O/T, holidays including public etc). I'll leave it the individual to decide the meaning of equality in the company-employee relationship :)
The current mining sector boom is masking the 'death of manufacturing'. Many if not most manufactured goods are made in China & that trend will accelerate. Toolmaking also is often done in China/Korea. Local toolmakers are often refurbish/maintenance crews. The only domestic manufacture safe from China is that which cannot be viably shipped. To reduce the effects of shipping costs many of the goods are shipped in crates, assembled in Aus then a "Made in Australia" badge is fixed to it. As you know not much cannot be reduced to a small compact crate.
Finally if you do find a long term job in steel fabrication in Aus paying the equivalent of 600 quid... keep very quiet about it :)
hi redaussies GREATwrite up about uk what you were saying about the vicar being stabbed i was from the area of aberdare,then moved to blackwood its hard to belive that you can go up to somebodys front door and just kill them ,im still battling with my mum regarding me living here (australia/sunshinecoast )been here a year.My hubby lvs it here,my son has just started school(5yrs)uk would take the shirt off your bk if they could get away with it its called GREAT BRITAN a long time ago yes ,not now anway were abouts are you from then.Once again great write up.deb
Firstly I wouldn't live anywhere else than Australia (at least that I know of) & would recommend it to anyone.
A few facts relating to working conditions in manufacturing in Australia.
You will be paid for a 38/40 hour week but expected to work at least 50 & unless you're employed as a basic skilled/unskilled worker you'll do it without O/T pay. So don't go getting promoted unless you're prepared to lose money.... at least for a good few years.
If the company you work for has an EBA (enterprise bargaining agreement) you'll probably not be covered by it for period of time... often about 2 years.
Award wages & EBA's are now dead or dying & are to be replaced with AWA's (Australaian Workplace Agreements) or called "WorkChoices" by the spin doctors. In theory you will enter into individual negotiations with you're employer on an equal 'one to one' basis & compile your work contract including pay & all conditions (O/T, holidays including public etc). I'll leave it the individual to decide the meaning of equality in the company-employee relationship :)
The current mining sector boom is masking the 'death of manufacturing'. Many if not most manufactured goods are made in China & that trend will accelerate. Toolmaking also is often done in China/Korea. Local toolmakers are often refurbish/maintenance crews. The only domestic manufacture safe from China is that which cannot be viably shipped. To reduce the effects of shipping costs many of the goods are shipped in crates, assembled in Aus then a "Made in Australia" badge is fixed to it. As you know not much cannot be reduced to a small compact crate.
Finally if you do find a long term job in steel fabrication in Aus paying the equivalent of 600 quid... keep very quiet about it :)
well if manufacturing is dying in oz, i feel its already dead in the north of england. my qyote of a job for £600 per week was 6 night-shifts a week in the offshore fabrication industry, so if you weigh it up its not too much money for what your expected to do.
your post is quite enlightening and obviously oz has changed since i was last there but it is not going to stop my wife and myself going, we can't wait, and even if it doesn't work out for us in the illawarra we can always move to another part of australia, we are determined to make it work. what ever the down side of life in oz it can only be better than the uk.
but it is not going to stop my wife and myself going, we can't wait, and even if it doesn't work out for us in the illawarra we can always move to another part of australia, we are determined to make it work. what ever the down side of life in oz it can only be better than the uk.
johnd
Good on yer!!! Illawarra should be OK. I lived near there for a few yrs.... its got a lot going for it. Particularly recommend Jervis Bay - convenient for weekends away... you get a head start on Sydneysiders.
BTW I only mentioned the working conditions here to inform not to discourage :). I suspect current working conditions will be roughly equivalent to the UK anyway. We're going the way of the US... it will be a very transient job market & the gap between winners & losers will increase I suspect?
Yea I do think it's time to go
neither will change things, its gone too far now. Even this morning’s news starts off with another teenager stabbed to death in London, just another murder!! And we moan about having to wait a few months for a case officer, - puts everything into perspective. I dread to think where Britain will be in another 5 to 10 years time. Either way, Australia accepted or not, we won't be staying here.
