This is a little bit of a serious post. This morning I was wallowing around in my own incompetence, being silly.
I went over to the manufacturers today to drop off a container for an artwork. This is the company who are no longer able to work with us as they are closing their workshop. I finally caught up with the sales rep that first bought me on board and who I have the best relationship with. I asked him how the changes were affecting him and he put his head in his hands. He told me that he's lost his job too, the factory would be closing, not just the workshop. He has 4 kids under 5 with another due in 2 weeks. He put his house on the market this morning. I was pissed off with the closure of the workshop, nothing in comparison to this guy, he's in full blown panic mode, shafted.
Worse still, he was on annual leave for a week, I knew before he did......the owner never even bought him in to tell him????
When i walked in to the factory last week there was still the machinery and tooling specialist areas there...today it was empty. NZ manufacturing is in deep shit. Its fucking shameful that the profit margins must increase on an annual basis or we're deemed failures to the point that we forsake our own industries and jobs.
I really wish that owner had talked to his workers, they were a good crew to work with and deserved much better.
Power to the Workers!
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Hmmmm I hear you H2; while this is a bit off topic, today we experienced yet another freaking mortgage interest rate rise, the latest in a recent spate of them - and with all certainty, more to come this year. Now, while Tex and I are very lucky to have well paying jobs, and can absorb these continual hikes with only a moderate impact on our lifestyle, there are thousands who are out there and doing it really, really tough. I heard a number of them on talk back radion today saying that they would have to sell their homes; many of them were crying and a few said that the banks had foreclosed and they only had 30days to pay up...so, a fire-sale of the house was inevitable, with the result being a buyers bonanza but those sellers will be lucky to cover their outstanding mortgage - many people will have outstanding debts to repay for many years for real estate they no longer own. Of course, the rise in mortgage repayments will be passed on to renters and the problems of unaffordability will compound there too. People are having a tough time feeding, clothing and educating themselves and their kids right now - the fact that the economists tell us that the Reserve Bank has no option but to raise interest rates in an effort to curb skyrocketing inflation, must be very cold comfort to those on struggle street.
It does put things into perspective....
Agreed TM, its the same over here, buying a house is becoming less of a dream and more of a fantasy i.e not happening.
And the cycle continues...I'm outraged. We introduced minimum wage here, I think its $11.50 and most young adults I know are and will stay on that wage for most of their career unless they change jobs. What the government failed to do is put in measures for increase. Obligations that resemble fairness or respect! Hell no! Start on $11.50 and stay on that buddy. My nephew worked his job for 4 years on $11.50, he's 23. Once upon a time that was marrying age, nowadays you dont move out of home, its too tough out there.
I think my house is going on the market too....its ridiculous the amounts we're paying in mortgages, the world is going mad. $1.70 per litre of petrol here...what are you paying?
Yep, it's completely fucked up - we are paying around $1.45 a litre for petrol - but there is no way it's not going to skyrocket - there are even predictions we will be paying $3 a litre within 12-18months...dunno where it's all going to end. I don't want to get all melodramatic here, but things are going to hell in a handbasket on this planet, so we may as well try and enjoy every freaking day while we can...
How's this for reality...Matt spent close to $600 in fuel in one month. One month!!
Our mortgage is fixed (15 year) and the rate is low. However, with only one income, it is very tight. The reason we did that is to own our home a lot sooner. But because insurance companies don't recognize autism as a disability, we absorb almost all of Emma's therapy costs. Because of Jack's diagnosis, insurance is a little better.
There truly is no such thing as "middle class" anymore---at least here in the States. I can't imagine losing my home. Working hard used to mean something; not anymore.
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