Public Holiday
Next year in September, the APEC meeting is coming to Sydney. THere will be a huge number of world leaders, including the Presidents of the US, China and Russia. The CBD will be in nearly total lockdown due to the security against terrorism. The state government (I believe, sensibly) have declared a public holiday on the 8th of September, to address some of the logistical problems in the CBD.
The Australian Industry Group and the Chamber of Commerce are all up in arms. Why should NSW businesses have to cop another public holiday?! This is an outrage?!?
Again, we see money-grubbing coming in the way of plain common sense. Workers and small business-people would appreciate the day off. The CBD will be practically inaccessible. In fact, the big-wigs who are supported by the Chamber of Commerce and AIG - if its too hard to get to work, they just won't show up. But wage workers? Oh no, they should have to come to work regardless of the circumstances.
I've never quite understood these groups. They are lobby groups for companies. Companies consist of people. But the AIG and CC push the interests of large inanimate and intangible entities (the corporations), often at the expense of the humans who are the constituents of the Corporation. If an objective external observer was watching our commercial society, it would indeed look strange. Its almost a Communist ideal, where the interest of the Commune are always more important that the interest of the individuals. And people are sacrificed to the glory (or in this case, profit) of the greater entity. Ironic, isn't it?
The Australian Industry Group and the Chamber of Commerce are all up in arms. Why should NSW businesses have to cop another public holiday?! This is an outrage?!?
Again, we see money-grubbing coming in the way of plain common sense. Workers and small business-people would appreciate the day off. The CBD will be practically inaccessible. In fact, the big-wigs who are supported by the Chamber of Commerce and AIG - if its too hard to get to work, they just won't show up. But wage workers? Oh no, they should have to come to work regardless of the circumstances.
I've never quite understood these groups. They are lobby groups for companies. Companies consist of people. But the AIG and CC push the interests of large inanimate and intangible entities (the corporations), often at the expense of the humans who are the constituents of the Corporation. If an objective external observer was watching our commercial society, it would indeed look strange. Its almost a Communist ideal, where the interest of the Commune are always more important that the interest of the individuals. And people are sacrificed to the glory (or in this case, profit) of the greater entity. Ironic, isn't it?
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