Posts by Damian Christie
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Don't see the problem. Don't like it? Don't sign it.
Yeah, I kinda agree with this. Certainly the libertarian angel/devil sitting on one shoulder does, and it's probably how I'd apply it to my own situation, where I consider I have a degree of negotiating ability and power. But I do think being able to contract out of stuff - say being able to contract out of not one week, but all four weeks of your annual leave - could be open to abuse: Not all employment relationships are created equal.
(At which point the libertarian angel/devil shudders with how far I've fallen...)
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But what about the individual wishes of (say) the NDU members?
Yeah, absolutely important, that wasn't what I was saying. But the wishes of one (for a holiday) shouldn't have precedence over those who would quite like to work. I hasten to add that I don't think people should be forced to work on those few days either - which as I said in the original post, is trickier to ensure than it should be - so I don't think the people-who-want-to-work's wishes take precedence over those who don't, either.
@jb - I'm not denying it's possible to stock up on beer. I'm just questioning whether it should be necessary to. And given my argument is one which requires changing legislation because I was ever-so-slightly inconvenienced... I'm not super worried if nothing changes. It was just a white whine.
(Just like the fact that the end of daylight savings really reduces the amount of time one can spend out on the boat...stay tuned for my next riveting post...;)
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Well yes, but the application of that to the Easter trading laws rather assumes facts not in evidence, doesn't it? It isn't like the NDU's out there campaigning for repeal, is it?
As I said, last night I spoke to workers, plural, who would rather work and get the time and a half. It probably betrays my libertarian past, but I believe that their individual wishes are just as valid as that of the NDU, for instance. And to tell them they can't "because it's good for them" doesn't work for me. (And don't assume this is an argument I would automatically extend any further by analogy than the facts up for debate here, I did say "libertarian past")
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@Kyle: Interesting figures, although having a quick think, your model assumes that the total price of the meal is all swallowed up with the various costs, i.e. there's no profit.
I don't know what the profit is, and likewise don't know what a normal percentage of labour is (though a quick google and some fairly unauthoritive US sites suggested it was somewhere in the 20-30% vicinity), but I don't think it's going overboard to at least say the cafe owner is making more than it's costing them.
Also, as labour is a semi-fixed cost, a cafe that's busier (because the supermarkets are closed, the butchers etc) is going to make even more money from that surcharge.
But yeah, I'm not opposed to a surcharge (I didn't mention it in the original post), although I wonder what those who oppose Easter trading because they want to protect workers think about a cafe owner who is incentivised to open on the weekend, and make their poor suffering staff work whether they want to or not? ;)
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@Lucy: I think I made some point in the blog about not wanting to force people to work who didn't want to. Based on a very small sample of the people I spoke to about this last night, there are plenty of workers with nothing else to do at Easter who would rather get time and a half for a day. If that's the case, what's the harm? But if there's not, well we have a problem.
The other point I was trying to make was about placing a few more things in the "this is okay to open" category. Like butchers. And bottlestores. And/or supermarkets. Yeah just supermarkets would be fine.
@Islander. I guess this kinda responds to what you're saying too. There's a difference between being for the benefit of the workers, and being for the benefit of the workers in spite of what the workers want.
(and if people are so damned good at stocking up on stuff, why is petrol such a necessity... (don't answer, I know, I know...)
@Ben. I always have a stash of good wine and some spirits in the house. I call that being a grown up. What I don't always have is a few dozen beer. Which is what I feel like with a BBQ and friends. Not the good chardonnay. :)
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@Yamis: My point(s) exactly. We need to get pissed somewhere together next religious holiday...
@Richard: I like to think I did what was suggested by Haydn suggested afterwards - I just charge more *all of the time* so that I don't have to fart around with special charges.
@Kyle: I think the point is that the 15/20% is extorionate (or at least, less dramatically, higher than it should be) given that labour is only one factor in the total cost equation. The bacon, lettuce and tomatoes purchased the day before didn't cost them 20% extra, for instance...
How about if we just make alcohol and BBQ supplies (it is, after all, the last Friday before daylight savings ends) an 'essential item' under the Act?
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...or, substitute the world "acohol" with "meat", and "bottle store" with "butcher/supermarket".
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Screw the impact on domestic violence, crime stats, road deaths and general mayhem that alcohol causes, a member of the grossly self-entitled chattering classes is incapable of planning ahead to stock up on Easter Sunday!
I think I addressed the response about stocking up in advance. If I didn't, let me clarify, simplify: Why the fuck should I? Yup, that's my point.
Planning in advance is good for tsunamis, earthquakes and boyscouts. It's planning ahead because someone else's imaginary friend apparently died that day (excepting the fact that Easter moves depending on the moon).
I should note for the record, that my drinking (because yes I did still manage to drink, I just tucked into the good stuff I had saved something better than my friends) resulted in no perceptible rise in crime stats. And as @Kyle notes, if that's the argument, then that's one we should be having every day, not just on Jesus's death-day.
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I'm not sure how parochial you are Islander, but I suspect knowing its geographic origins won't be enough for you to try and revive the saying? Shame...
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Oh, and re Taxi drivers and their comments, there's a great thread somewhere on this blog from a while back. Uninvited racism from taxi drivers is always quite a highlight. But I refuse to listen to talkback in the car. I just ask for it to be turned off.