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trixtahFinally, finally, I have been offered a permanent role in my current job, without having to go through the pain and agony of reapplying for the position. Yay that.
The role is being offered under an Australian Workplace Agreement contract, which is the Government's way of disenfranchising all the workers under the pretence of our being able to "negotiate" fairly. Since the employers are the ones with the job that you need, and it's not often that you're in a position where you're the unique applicant for a role, I fail to see any "fairness" in this kind of arrangement. Also, since one of these things was the way in which I was made "redundant" 10 years ago, I am not comforted by my "power" in this kind of situation. Gallingly, the unions here appear to be useless, and don't seem to offer any kind of advocacy role for those of us who cannot go onto any enterprise agreement. I'd be happy to pay my subs to get access to a lawyer and/or an employment advocate. Bah.
So, while I'm pleased to have this offer, it's not without caveats. Firstly, the contractual arrangement. Secondly, the money they're offering. Ahem. Yes, it's all about me and my ego. The offer is for $63,760. I was earning almost that much while working in my last job in NZ (a university), with less responsibility and a nicer working environment. In short, it's a joke in a place (Canberra) where experienced sysadmins are in a massive shortage.
As a contractor, my rate is $55 an hour, and of course, the contract agency creams a big chunk off the top (which I don't see, so I don't know how much it is). So, even if they paid me that exact sum, my employers would save a big wodge of cash overall. I think between 10-20% of the contractor's salary is a standard amount. $55 per hour x 38 hours a week x 46 weeks of the year (4 weeks' annual leave, and a generous allocation of two weeks for public holidays/sick leave) - 9% for superannuation. If I were really nice, I'd calculate the payroll tax (stupid Aussie tax), but since that comes out of my own pocket at present anyway, bugger them. That sum adds up to $87,487.40. So, I'm wondering where that fairly large gap of $23,737.40 is coming from. Even if we include the stupid payroll tax, at 6.68%, that still adds up to $80,901.81.
While I want to get this role because of the quaint notion of reasonable job security, it will not be at the cost of them assuming they can pay me peanuts and assume I'll chirp along happily. The hell. I might as well stay a contractor, in that case.
Bugger it. I hate having to fuck around with this kind of "bargaining". Why the fuck are they wasting everyone's time with such stupidity? One thing that very quickly wears on me is feeling undervalued in any way, particularly in my work, of course. The money represents the value they ascribe to my work, and it's no wonder I'm feeling insulted. Yes, perhaps this is just the first ploy in the bargaining game, but it's not a game I want to pay at all. You know, I can cruise through life knowing that I'm a bad anarchist, in my paid work, and with my paying taxes and (mainly) law-abiding self, but it's moments like these that I get reminded what a fucking crock the capitalist set-up really is.
The role is being offered under an Australian Workplace Agreement contract, which is the Government's way of disenfranchising all the workers under the pretence of our being able to "negotiate" fairly. Since the employers are the ones with the job that you need, and it's not often that you're in a position where you're the unique applicant for a role, I fail to see any "fairness" in this kind of arrangement. Also, since one of these things was the way in which I was made "redundant" 10 years ago, I am not comforted by my "power" in this kind of situation. Gallingly, the unions here appear to be useless, and don't seem to offer any kind of advocacy role for those of us who cannot go onto any enterprise agreement. I'd be happy to pay my subs to get access to a lawyer and/or an employment advocate. Bah.
So, while I'm pleased to have this offer, it's not without caveats. Firstly, the contractual arrangement. Secondly, the money they're offering. Ahem. Yes, it's all about me and my ego. The offer is for $63,760. I was earning almost that much while working in my last job in NZ (a university), with less responsibility and a nicer working environment. In short, it's a joke in a place (Canberra) where experienced sysadmins are in a massive shortage.
As a contractor, my rate is $55 an hour, and of course, the contract agency creams a big chunk off the top (which I don't see, so I don't know how much it is). So, even if they paid me that exact sum, my employers would save a big wodge of cash overall. I think between 10-20% of the contractor's salary is a standard amount. $55 per hour x 38 hours a week x 46 weeks of the year (4 weeks' annual leave, and a generous allocation of two weeks for public holidays/sick leave) - 9% for superannuation. If I were really nice, I'd calculate the payroll tax (stupid Aussie tax), but since that comes out of my own pocket at present anyway, bugger them. That sum adds up to $87,487.40. So, I'm wondering where that fairly large gap of $23,737.40 is coming from. Even if we include the stupid payroll tax, at 6.68%, that still adds up to $80,901.81.
While I want to get this role because of the quaint notion of reasonable job security, it will not be at the cost of them assuming they can pay me peanuts and assume I'll chirp along happily. The hell. I might as well stay a contractor, in that case.
Bugger it. I hate having to fuck around with this kind of "bargaining". Why the fuck are they wasting everyone's time with such stupidity? One thing that very quickly wears on me is feeling undervalued in any way, particularly in my work, of course. The money represents the value they ascribe to my work, and it's no wonder I'm feeling insulted. Yes, perhaps this is just the first ploy in the bargaining game, but it's not a game I want to pay at all. You know, I can cruise through life knowing that I'm a bad anarchist, in my paid work, and with my paying taxes and (mainly) law-abiding self, but it's moments like these that I get reminded what a fucking crock the capitalist set-up really is.
