Penalties

No I'm not talking the upcoming World Cup, but the debate taking place, mainly by the right wing media on penalty rates. I did a bit of searching, and you know what, the established award rates seem pretty fair to me. Here they are: Hospitality Award (covers hotels, motels) Sat - 125% Sun - 175% Pub Hol - 250% (casuals get an additional 25% loading to cover sick/annual leave etc) Restaurant Award (self explanatory) Sat -125% Sun - 150% Pub Hol - 250% (casuals + 25% loading except the Pub Hols, which is the same) Registered Club Award Sat - 150% Sun - 175% Pub Hol - 250% (casuals + 25% loading only on Mon - Fri, no extra on Weekends or Pub Hols for being a temporary gun for hire) Retail Award M-F after 6pm - 125% Sat - 125% Sun - 200% Pub Hol - 250% or time in lieu based upon hours worked casuals + 25%, and + 10% on Saturday, but on Sunday they get 200% including the 25% loading ie the penaly rate is in effect 175% so we can see from the above, penalty rates are reasonable, time and a quarter to time and three quarters, and double time and a half for working on Christmas Day, Anzac Day, Boxing Day, when the rest of us are at home catching up with family that we don't see the rest of the year cause we are too busy working! note that many people are employed casually in the services or retail sector, and these casuals are not getting any extra for weekends or public holidays for working at the RSL..

Politics, politics, POLITICS!

Why does it have to be so divisive? Why can't there be more unity amongst our leaders, on issues of (inter-) national importance. Climate change? Refugees? Globalisation? Borders are just boundaries on a map. Parties are just parties. How about reaching across the divides, and working together? Politics, politics, POLITICS!

Rustic Spaghetti

I was chatting with a new friend at work yesterday, he originates from Calabria in Southern Italy. Italian food is one I like to cook, as it is so fresh, seasonal and CHEAP! I conjured up this recipe last nite, using my friend Ross's freshly made chilli sauce. 1/2 packet of wholemeals spag, about $2 from the super 1 bottle of passata (italian tomato pasta sauce), about the same 2 or 3 diced home grown tomatoes 1 home grown capsicum 1 tsp chilli sauce, home grown of course! 2 cloves coarsely sliced garlic sea salt olive oil, extra virgin if u can afford it. i have bottles given to me by a friend basil leaves fresh from the garden cook your spaghetti according to instructions, and set aside to keep warm in a hot sauce pan, add 3 tbsp olive oil, passata, capsicum, tomatoes, chilli, garlic slices and a good pinch of sea salt. pretty much everything! let it bubble away for about 45mins, while opening and consuming a bottle of local wine. serve with fresh basil leaves sliced, crusty bread, more olive oil and the rest of the wine!!!!!!!!! so fresh, healthy, tasty and wholesome. Gotta love the Italians!