Life on easy street

Melbourne summer lasts about 6 months which suited me :cool: But it will probably be too changeable for you Hoff. Link for Melbourne weather temp data updated every 10 mins There is also an archive of daily temp at 10 min intervals for any day you choose. http://www.baywx.com.au/melbtemp.html

During boom times zero hour contracts are not a problem because most people get A full 40 hour work or more if they want it. The problem is when boom changes to recession then suddenly The amount of work available can be as little as zero hours in any week. They are effectively in no man’s land of under employment not fully employed or unemployed.

Sorry :sad:to say zero hour contracts have already arrived in Melbourne Australia 2009!! I applied for a temp job office computer removals for 3 months @$21 per hour 20 hours per weekend. The advert gave no indication that it was a zero hour contract only found out at the interview. At the interview I was led to believe there would be three months of work most weekends working 20 hours @ $21 per hour. I was expected to be available for work in central Melbourne 2pm Friday to 6pm Sunday. What I actually got was only 4 weekends in the three months of the contract.

Well said Pablo The company I worked for before I moved to Australia Made 100 people redundant in 2008 “moved the jobs to CHINA “ I spoke to ex work colleagues who lost their job and most of them are earning less money One was earning half working at Tesco’s unfortunately he is unlikely to ever get A well paid skilled job because of his age.

If there is a possibility of retiring in the U.K then I would make the voluntary contributions. You currently need 35 years of contributions to get full state pension.

Australia has its share of murderers On Virgin TV channel 214 I.D. Crime scene Australia 12.00 Midnight.

It is irrelevant that you may have paid NI in the U.K for 30 years what is important. Are the NI contributions in the two years immediately prior to a claim of contributory Job Seekers Allowance. if you have no savings then you should be able to claim other benefits.

When I enquired at the Citizens advice in 2011 There were two types of Job Seekers Allowance Contributory J.S.A Contributory J.S.A which if you have been out of the U.K for more than two years you will not have Employer NI insurance contributions to your name in the last two years. you will not be able to claim this. And Means tested J.S.A Which you can claim once you can prove residency in the U.K no doubt they will have changed things by now. Types of Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA) http://www.turn2us.org.uk/information__resources/benefits/working_or_looking_for_work/jobseekers_allowance.aspx

No it was worse than that she destroyed whole regions Mansfield, Worksop, Chesterfield, Doncaster were badly affected. Sheffield and Nottingham were not as badly affected but could hardly be described as boom towns. I don’t know what these towns are like today but judging by the cost of housing not well at all.

The days of being able to live next to the factory you work at disappeared 20 years ago! In todays world a car is a necessity for the majority of people to get to work when work becomes available. In 2002 , 2004 and the present day I would not have been interviewed for jobs If I did not have a car.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2013/mar/21/jobcentre-set-targets-benefit-sanctions The Labour MP for Walthamstow, Stella Creasy, said: "We have to get to the bottom of this. It is quite horrible that jobcentre staff feel they have to set people up to fail." The people who will be caught out by this Are people who are claiming this sort of benefit the first time in their life and make a minor Mistake in the paper work system. Or the less able in society who are easily set up to fail.

I have to agree about the U.S U.S certainly looks like a financial mess. I found this on youtube about the U.S Warning it is an hour long.

I found the temp in Melbourne comfortable most of the year except Dec/Jan a few days temp above 40 deg. And June / July a bit cool temp in the low teens. Melbourne Real Time Temperature Observations........http://www.baywx.com/melbtemp.html

That is true in my trade with 20 years’ experience the pay is not that great in Victoria Australia $50k-$60k. Recently qualified would be paid 35k!!

Add about 10 deg to UK temp most of the year. You can check out the daily and historic temp at this web site Melbourne Real Time Temperature Observations........http://www.baywx.com/melbtemp.html

Found the video at the Daly mail website not loading for some reason.:sad: According to the Daily mail “Gina, who has worked for Sainsburys in the past” But it does not say how long and when she stopped working. “She also claimed that because the pair have paid tax in the past,” If that is true then he must have worked in the past. Again how long for and when did he stop. Was it a month ago , a year ago or three years ago.? I have to admit they must really be very dumb to appear on television And make comments like this. “The couple also hit back at those who describe them as scroungers, arguing that because their hard-working parents have paid tax all their lives, they are entitled to claim some of the money back.” One thing for certain they have made themselves look like scroungers. According to the internet he has just been offered a labouring job 60 pounds per day. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2271145/This-Morning-benefits-couple-receive-job-offer-hours-claiming-entitled-live-state---shock-critics-ACCEPTING-15k-role.html#axzz2Jfb8HFCe

I have not seen the interview can it be viewed on the internet?

I agree. I have no interest in running a company but if I did I would pay the market rate for the job. Unfortunately there are a few companies who did exactly that It was only when customers found out and threatened to boycott the company Did they pay the market rate for the job.

As an employer I have choice Employ someone at 248 pounds per week before deductions Or Employ a constant stream of people for zero money. If as an employer I had no morals at all I would employ those who cost me no money at all In my opinion this hardly encourages civic responsibility amongst the long term unemployed.

That is good news.

This has been tried in the U.S workfare what started to happen was good workers lost their jobs Only to be replaced with cheap / slave labour of long term unemployed. In my opinion they should be paid the legal Minimum market rate for the job if it is an unskilled job.

As long as the courses are genuine leading to real qualifications and skills That are of use to the economy. I understand that Leicester city council has an enterprise zone Providing cut price rents / business rates to enable start-up businesses. At least this is a constructive attempt to solve the unemployment in the U.K A far better solution than attacking the unemployed.

You are being childish in deliberately misreading my response. I did not blame anyone or anything for the scroungers.

I did not blame the bankers or politicians for the benefit scroungers: I was pointing out the HYPOCRISY of the ruling class and the BBC. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypocrisy Hypocrisy is the state of promoting or administering virtues, moral or religious beliefs, principles, etc., that one does not actually have and is also guilty of violating.[1] Hypocrisy often involves the deception of others and thus can be considered a kind of lie.[1] Hypocrisy is not simply failing to practice those virtues that one preaches. Samuel Johnson made this point when he wrote about the misuse of the charge of "hypocrisy" in Rambler No. 14: Nothing is more unjust, however common, than to charge with hypocrisy him that expresses zeal for those virtues which he neglects to practice; since he may be sincerely convinced of the advantages of conquering his passions, without having yet obtained the victory, as a man may be confident of the advantages of a voyage, or a journey, without having courage or industry to undertake it, and may honestly recommend to others, those attempts which he neglects himself.[2]

Yes you do have to prove you have applied for work