"McLeod's Daughters" is another fave Aussie soapie. A recent episode actually took on a real-time political issue, Australian Work Place Agreements (AWAs). AWAs were introduced by the Howard government recently as a way to break what little power the working class has left. What happens is that a boss presents you with an AWA which in a great percentage of cases so far, takes away your overtime pay; vacation benefits and so on. You're not forced to sign the AWA. You are, however, fired, if you do not sign the AWA. You have a voice in the AWA, but no power to enforce any demand you might want to negotiate with your employer.
See the episode from McLeod's Daughters where this issue is discussed. You can see the part in McLeod's Daughters that everyone's talking about. You Tube is already hosting the visuals from Wednesday night's program.
Source: http://lhmu.org.au/lhmu/news/2007/1179437937_2288.html
Sacked but offered job back on lower pay AWA One of the characters, Phil, the local mayor and business owner, fires young Patrick so he can immediately rehire him on an Australian Workplace Agreement.
"Patrick, great, I've been meaning to talk to you. I'm restructuring the business - you're fired," he tells Patrick.
He then offers the employee an AWA that has lower wages.
Phil says it involves a new title of assistant manager, more flexibility, more responsibility.
"Less money," snaps Patrick in the episode shown Wednesday night. "Much less money."
Patrick is not impressed by the promise of more pay through bonuses for hard work and rejects the workplace agreement.
"Well it's not actually your choice," says Phil. "It's either my way . . ."
"I'll take the highway," says Patrick. "I quit."
Episode based on reality The show's creator and the executive producer of Millennium Pictures, Posie Graeme-Evans, has told the media that the episode was written nine months ago and shot six months ago.
The idea came from the case in August last year after an Adelaide service station attendant who was sacked and then offered an AWA with less pay.
"Drama takes its stories from everywhere. We absolutely cannibalise, we process the world," Posie Graeme-Evans told newspapers.
"I think it's hilarious that something we thought about nine months ago ... has screened at a time when it's so sensitive. This happens in drama series."
An injury to one is an injury to all http://www.iww.org.au/
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