Niche work - yeah right!

[Street Gerbil]

Just how sick is that? How come no one understands that outsourcing manufacturing jobs, even if profitable short term, is no different than outsourcing oil production by the USA? How come those idiots in the guberment do not understand that local jobs is one thing that needs to be protected at all costs???
Besides, "niche" jobs, like mine, are being outsourced too - except to India instead of Thailand.

[Coyote]

And then all top students will study design which very few people get jobs in, landing the rest with big student loans and a shitty job in a supermarket. That's for the few students that do take that route, the rest of the intelligent ones are looking out for number 1 and becoming accountants and bank investors. Who's going to become the doctors and surgeons that we running short of? Who cares?!

[RantyDave]

Just how sick is that?

She's right though - bashing washing machines together pays $5/hr, designing them $50/hr and running the company that markets and sells them $500/hr if you're any good. It's the way of the world that what were specialist skills become more and more ordinary - imagine how specialised being a car mechanic was in 1910. Developing countries are called that because they ... y'know ... are.

Anyway, she's right, manufacturing in NZ is history - you can get it done cheaper elsewhere.

Dave

[Flatcap]

How come those idiots in the guberment do not understand that local jobs is one thing that needs to be protected at all costs???

Helen and her comrades in the Labour Government are anti business. She doesn't really give a shit because she can tax us middle class fools right up until we leave the country

[Timber020]

This is happening the world over, heck even eastern china is loosing work to cheaper workers in the western provences. The Mustang and Harley are now more foreign made than civics and goldwings in the USA.

The entire western world is loosing its manufacting capacity. If you want to keep it you will have to go back to only being able to afford a 20 year old car, a 10 year old fridge, and one pair of shoes.

[Street Gerbil]

Guys, don't you understand that subsidizing industries to keep jobs at home is more profitable on the long run because folks whose jobs are being outsourced tend to become unemployed (welfare payments vs. income tax, anyone?)
Of course from the Marxist standpoint it is ideologically correct to take jobs from haves (civilized nations) and transfer them to have nots, but shouldn't this guberment watch after its own subjects first???

[sAsLEX]

And then all top students will study design which very few people get jobs in, landing the rest with big student loans and a shitty job in a supermarket. That's for the few students that do take that route, the rest of the intelligent ones are looking out for number 1 and becoming accountants and bank investors. Who's going to become the doctors and surgeons that we running short of? Who cares?!

I would personally suggest Engineering over design.......

[stanko]

What I dont get is why we are even worried that 1000 people lose their jobs this week. Employers cant find workers . Is there really a problem? The redundant workers will be able to get new work, life will go on. Or is there something they arent telling us?

[stevedee]

Yes there is something they are not telling us

1. They will find work, partime or full time work in the service industry or similar for about 30 or 40% less than what they are earning now. The unemploment figures will look nice, no one out of work. Or maybe some won't be that lucky.

2. Every job that leaves NZ ain't coming back in my lifetime so unless you find your niche, you will be the above bracket, working in a service industry and or unemployed pulling the dole.

3. There is no niche industry that cannot be done elsewhere in the world in india, china or vietnam for about 10% of what a kiwi earns or needs to live here.

So if you are in a niche industry right now, enjoy. All of those countries are getting just as well educated as the so called niche employees in NZ. They do not care if you have a niche, in a year or 2 its thier niche ...and that leaves you back in the above bracket. I guess off course you are more educated and could of course find another niche. There are plenty of jobs out there.....

4. If your government ...like it does.... runs up the white flag, like it does every time a company says it's exporting jobs because it is uneconomic for a kiwi to do the work. Just say she'll be right, they will find work, there are plenty of jobs out there....its all good mate.

Take a look at the incentives that are offered to NZ companies by Taiwan and China and tell me that this is fine, and she will be right. Lie back and let it happen, let them rip you/us off. She'll be right mate.

5. Time we started looking after our own first, instead of giving jobs to china, sure you get your toasters and tvs cheap. In 10 years a few will still have jobs and the rest will be on wellfare or working for chips. Ultimately you get what you deserve, watch your fellow worker go to the wall, enjoy your cheap consurmerism crap, and we will all meet on the other side in 10 years or less owned by the very people you are exporting your jobs and wealth to. Sure as hell the cheap TVs will look pretty darn expensive in 10 years time when you are earning $5 an hour.


Answer : buy New Zealand made, just like they do in Australia. Insist on NZ made rather than something made from a poor country. Yes I know you will be saying NZ doesnt make TVs, Cars etc, but we used to. It will never go back to that again but at least you could try encouragng some sort of nationlistic pride in what we can do, we do more than sheep. Though given the govenrment right now that will be all that is left apart from tourism.

Don't let the government lie down for you. Try and think it through where this is all heading. You can buy most things now for less than what they are really worth if you had to make them yourself, but you are buying this on the back of cheap labour.

Sooner or later the wealth will be gone here and we will be the cheap labour.
Better to pay more and keep a Kiwi in work than pay less and put a kiwi on the dole.

[stanko]

Thanks Steve, you are right on the button. Working 1 paid hour means youare not unemployed. The present govt has got very good at spinning the shit we want to hear and ignoring the facts. Damien Oconnor was spinning the Niche story last week before the F&P announcment so no doubt it was no suprise to him.

The problem they say is the high NZ dollar, which is high cos that is the only way the govt wants to control inflation. Trying to stop the runaway housing market is screwing the productive sector. Maybe a Cap gain tax on speculation would fix it Australia has one dosent seem to kill anybody.

Im in a manufacturing business and Im still waiting after 7 years for the first incentive form the govt, instead they hand it out at electiontime making all workers psudo benificiaries (maybe not so psudo). Oh they sent me a fridge magnet with the new employment law , but that wasnt really valuable cos I put it on trade me and nobody wanted it.