Story Link

Tassie in the firing line
09mar00

TASMANIA is bracing for savage job losses in the wake of changes being hatched in the boardrooms of some of the nation's corporate giants.

Despite having the the worst unemployment rate in the country, Tasmanians are set to feel the axe more severely than other states. The first threat comes from the rumoured takeover by the Commonwealth Bank of the Colonial Bank.

It was only four months ago that Colonial announced it was buying the Tasmanian-owned Trust Bank.

At the time it promised there would be no net job losses or branch closures.

Now the Finance Sector Union fears 400 jobs and 30 branches will vanish if the Commonwealth swallows Colonial.

The second threat to state jobs comes from Telstra which yesterday announced a record profit - but still plans to lose 16,000 jobs.

First in the firing line in Tasmania could be two of the call centres which were established as part of the much-publicised new-technology solution to state's jobless woes.

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Comment:
This is a short article saying volumes about our new world run by the global giants. Read it again (and between the lines) because it's coming to your town too. Think America. Here is the phenomenon of dislocation beginning in earnest. On 'Good Morning Australia' our deputy Prime Minister virtually threatened big business like Telstra to be very careful regarding the social responsibilities that comes with huge profits, much of it going off-shore. As for Tasmania? Well, more people will be leaving.

I table this article as a general awareness issue that is becoming the new social affairs topic for discussion. This issue is rolling and is the real thing...It's bigger than Y2K because it actually is TEOTWAWKI for an awful lot of ordinary people. It's coming to visit you too.

Regards from OZ - have a nice day

-- Pieter (zaadz@icisp.net.au), March 08, 2000

Answers

Pieter...I think that if I understand you right, that you will find that we in the US have been having these problems for the past few years. A company does really well with profits and decides it can do better and "downsizes". Then two years later, their service, product or whatever takes a hit and they wonder why. Most, or much of our downsizing, is simply moving the manufacturing plants off shoreand/or importing. The US RUNS on oil and BUYS China. We hardly make anything anymore. Unlike Australia, which has always imported most of their goods, the US used to manufacture its own and also for export. That is no longer true. We too import everything and most of the normal day to day objects that one buys at K-Mart, etc., is made in China. WalMart and K-Mart would go belly up in two weeks if the imports from mainland China were to stop. Its A very sad situation. And its sad for Tassie as that State has few employement opportunities, still being agriculture in nature. And when you only have one good size town and one small city (Launceston and Hobart) it doesn't make for good employement, especially when they are clear across the State from one another. In addition, the people in Tassie pay a lot more for their goods as it all crosses the Bass Strait to get there.

Taz

-- Taz (Tassie123@aol.com), March 08, 2000.

Thanks Taz, you've nailed it well. Tasmania cannot afford to export any more people without doing harm to the remaining agrarian based show. Premier Bob Carr, New South Wales, went further this week by stating he doesn't want any more migration to Sydney and urban areas. Premier Peter Beattie, Queensland said the same thing. Unfortuntely the rural scene is unable to absorb the migration as well. In South Australia this morning's headline says the Premier is a non-performer and the Treasurer is a fool. Yep. The times are getting interesting.

By dissembling our manufacturing base at the urging of global interests we are dissembling our communities also. In that regard our debate matters and the American experience matters to us in OZ. We're entering a period of upheaval placing pressure on water and other infrastructures, lead by reactionary politicians without vision.

Regards from Down Under

-- Pieter (zadz@icisp.net.au), March 08, 2000.

Hi Taz

Glad to see you're here and posting, I really do think that there's room for 2 boards, and I'm glad that you obviously think the same.

Pieter,

Poor bloody Tasmania, I love the place but there's just *NIL* mainframe work in the whole state or I'd move right now!

BTW, Pieter to dissemble actually means to lie (as in fib) but I know what you mean!

RonD

-- Ron Davis (rdavis@ozemail.com.au), March 08, 2000.

Greetz Ron,
Sorry about the spelling. My brothers and I have often talk of taking our business to Tasmania, a place that is so beautiful. Unfortunately critical mass is what's it all about. I had a meeting with development officers yesterday afternoon for the Green Triangle. Blue gum mono cropping is forcing people out of the regional areas and it's a real infrastructure problem we've got happening. No answers as yet, but we're talking. That's something. Meanwhile SA has a leadership spill happening. You heard it first on TB2K spin-off forum. Fancy that...

-- Pieter (zaadz@icisp.net.au), March 08, 2000.