Workplace

‘Empowerment’ feminism is not working – we need a far more radical approach to gender equality

cat.kutay — Sat, 25 Mar 2017 03:44:44 +0000

International Women’s Day has come and gone, leaving the annual short burst attention to “women’s issues” in its wake. So now is a good time to look at what emerged from it, and whether gender equity has stalled.

An 800,000-plus jobs gap between ‘welfare to work’ and reality

cat.kutay — Wed, 14 May 2014 04:05:13 +0000

The major missing factor in debates on cutting welfare spending – as has been flagged by social services minister Kevin Andrews – is the limited and falling demand for labour. Labour market figures give the lie to the need to target working-age payment recipients as the issue.

The problem is not supply-side inadequacies but the demand for labour: there are far too few jobs on offer.

No Pay Rise For Low Pay Care Jobs

cat.kutay — Fri, 21 Feb 2014 01:25:25 +0000

Tony Abbott wants to cut subsidised pay rises for aged care and child care workers. If he does, underpaid workers will continue to leave the industry or live in poverty.

Let’s acknowledge Abbott’s parental leave plan is better

cat.kutay — Sat, 15 Jun 2013 02:45:13 +0000

A campaign to stop planned cuts to sole parent payments is aiming at the government’s vulnerable underbelly in its bid for a UN Security Council seat. Harming Australia’s image may be justified.

Persecuting The Poor?

cat.kutay — Sat, 23 Mar 2013 10:48:39 +0000

There are clearly more jobseekers than jobs. So why are Australian politicians so set on punishing the victims of social inequality?

Why do we still need benchmarks for work and family policy?

cat.kutay — Sat, 23 Mar 2013 06:24:11 +0000

This question is asked in the Benchmarks for Work and
Family Policies produced for the coming Federal election by a group of feminist academics, including myself. It raises the wider question of why existing policies are so weak in this area that we still need to construct tests against which to assess the parties’ proposals.

Making time and taking our time

cat.kutay — Sat, 23 Mar 2013 06:22:40 +0000

Something went wrong between the dreams of post-war workers and our modern working lives. I remember the push for the 35 hour week and the dreams of new technologies that would see workers replaced by robots and more leisure for all. That dream has stayed in the realms of science fiction.

Who is damaged by the current superannuation system?

cat.kutay — Sat, 23 Mar 2013 03:56:34 +0000

Media stories about possible changes to superannuation tax concessions generally focus on the “dangers” of reducing the unfair benefits of better off super contributors. Most stories come from financial journalists who voice the views of the finance industry, or offer opinion pieces from the various financial institutions that benefit substantially from the current system.

As gap between rich and poor widens, how well-off are we?

cat.kutay — Sat, 23 Mar 2013 03:19:46 +0000

The government is crowing about the cut in interest rates, claiming that it shows that its economic policies are paying off. It spruiks the cuts as taking care of the needs of its pet target group, “working families” who are complaining about financial stress. The opposition is making its own noises about cost-of-living pressures in the hope of scaring potential voters to rust on to its parties.

Older workers need some new-age thinking

cat.kutay — Sat, 23 Mar 2013 03:18:53 +0000

Why is there discrimination against older workers? The Toyota employees just dismissed might be dismayed to find that unemployment benefit recipients over 45 are seen as too old by far too many bosses.

More to life and Labor policies than just getting a job

cat.kutay — Sat, 23 Mar 2013 02:56:17 +0000

How can a Labor government promote itself as fair if it fails to take care of those excluded from the paid workforce? Even The Australian seems to be surprised at its attitude:

Gillard’s preaching doesn’t offer salvation for unemployed

cat.kutay — Sat, 23 Mar 2013 02:16:48 +0000

By citing lack of responsibility and no sense of obligation as their character flaws, Prime Minister Gillard grossly ignores the evidence that the problem with unemployment is as much, or maybe more, a demand side problem as the fault of the unfortunate supply side of underused labor.

When tax sends a powerful message of official values

cat.kutay — Sat, 23 Mar 2013 02:16:47 +0000

Taxation is an essential part of our support for the public sphere. What is taxed and what is exempted are powerful message of official values and goals. A tax system should fund those services we value as universal entitlements rather than private purchases.

Push for higher super contributions using women as stalking horse

cat.kutay — Sat, 23 Mar 2013 02:16:45 +0000

Look carefully at who is pushing for the rise in super contributions to 12%. The clear beneficiaries will be the finance industry, union funds and high income males — but they’re using women as their stalking horse in a cynical argument for raising the level of compulsory contributions.

a centenary of continuous struggle for women

cat.kutay — Sat, 23 Mar 2013 02:16:44 +0000

If I wanted an example of the misuse of feminism, it arrived this morning in a headline from the Herald Sun: “Influential women in push for super boost”. The article shows clearly how feminism is easily co-opted by blokey economics and why inequality between men and women was increasing and also between women.

Workplace

‘Empowerment’ feminism is not working – we need a far more radical approach to gender equality

Archive:

An 800,000-plus jobs gap between ‘welfare to work’ and reality

Archive:

No Pay Rise For Low Pay Care Jobs

Archive:

Let’s acknowledge Abbott’s parental leave plan is better

Archive:

Persecuting The Poor?

Archive:

Why do we still need benchmarks for work and family policy?

Archive:

Making time and taking our time

Archive:

Who is damaged by the current superannuation system?

Archive:

As gap between rich and poor widens, how well-off are we?

Archive:

Older workers need some new-age thinking

Archive:

More to life and Labor policies than just getting a job

Archive:

Gillard’s preaching doesn’t offer salvation for unemployed

Archive:

When tax sends a powerful message of official values

Archive:

Push for higher super contributions using women as stalking horse

Archive:

a centenary of continuous struggle for women

Archive: