Could El Perro, in less than 20 of his own words - not copied and pasted from the economist - explain the mass appeal of Apple computer products.
Significantly more expensive than equivalently equipped competitive items, yet the demand is outstripping supply: i.e. the iPhone.
Easy!
Product differentiation allowing Apple to charge near monopolistic pricing.
Aircraft... Pass A Frozo
I still don't understand the logic. Do you guys really believe one (now two!) people are the only people with contact with the aviation industry who aren't pro unions? I think this says a lot about the state of the current industry if that's the case.
That's not an "ad hominem" argument either. Just a simple insult, and an opinion.
Hi DutchRoll,
A good quote that kind of sums up my opinion, from Pierre S. du Pont (25th of September 1790):
Gentlemen, it is a disagreeable custom to which one is too easily led by the harshness of the discussions, to assume evil intentions. It is necessary to be gracious as to intentions; one should believe them good, and apparently they are; but we do not have to be gracious at all to inconsistent logic or to absurd reasoning. Bad logicians have committed more involuntary cries than bad men have done intentionally"
I have no problems with your intent. All men want what is best. You, me and everyone else. It's the way we achieve that. I question logic.
Originally Posted by max1
How do you see the AMA?
Like any other union. The AMA exists to restrict the supply of doctors in order to maintain high wages. The current education system introduced by Gillard assists them in this endeavour. Whilst it appears perfectly permissible (as it should be) for a 22 year old to work, save and spend money on purchasing a V8 Commodore the current government finds it unacceptable for that same individual to work, save and spend that money on self funding education.
Doctors were the original unionists - read the original Hippocratic oath constructed 20 years after the death of Hippocrates (who taught anyone, so long as they would pay his fee) made in response to the fierce competition for medical service:
I swear ... to give a share of precepts and oral instruction and all the other learning to my sons and to the sons of him who has instructed me and to pupils who have signed the covenant and have taken an oath according to the medical law, but no one else.
Commonly what is known today as a closed shop... the original "no ticket, no start"
I will not use the knife, not even on sufferers from stone, but will withdraw in favor of such men as are engaged in this work.
The original division of labor. This was an agreement where someone would swear that if they were trained to become a doctor they would not do the work currently undertaken by surgeons.
Originally Posted by Max1
should individual doctors be fronting the hospitals and seeing who will work for the lowest money?
There is no need for that. Firstly hospitals should be free to hire doctors on the wages that they (the hospital and the doctor) freely agree on. Doctors like people in most professions establish reputations on the quality of their work. New doctors don't command the salary that experienced, quality doctors do. The government (or a union) should have no role in deciding the salary.
Salaries in the free market are based on supply and demand, and to what extent individuals can differentiate themselves from others in terms of "quality".
A question for you, if union's are responsible for wages, why do accountant's earn more than cleaners? It certainly has nothing to do with the accountant having a "better union" than the cleaner.
As you see, my argument is not class based, it's logic based.
Moving back to the issue about Danish butter.....How can someone produce,package and transport Danish butter to Australia butter at a cost which is competitive to Australian butter....just a thought.
A little hard to read but I presume you are asking how Danish butter sells in Australia in competition to Australian Butter.
I don't know enough about the field of butter to make an analysis, but I suspect that you mentioning "Danish Butter" rather than "Butter" means there is some form of product differentiation involved? Does it sell as "butter" or "Danish Butter" ? You could ask a similar question - do flights on Gulf Air sell for less than QANTAS fares simply because of a differentiation in labour costs or because the products are not considered equal?
You might argue that the output of Australian workers differ to that of overseas workers. We've seen the aircraft engineer workers union making that case. The difference is that customers aren't being forced into choosing QANTAS of Gulf Air. The engineer's union seeks to force QANTAS to chose their workers. If the work of Australian engineer's is worth more than overseas workers
and that product is demanded then you don't need a union making your pay claim.
Originally Posted by DutchRoll
You appear to be completely ignorant about what benefits I get out of the Pilot's Association. I'm not going to list the many benefits when I joined which had nothing whatsoever to do with increasing my salary
I have no problem with you seeking professional help / advice with a problem at work. Let me ask you this, if an organisation provided this assistance when needed, but
did not involve itself in salary negotiations would you join them instead of the Pilots' Association?
High (inceasing) demand and lack of available supply can drive prices up, is the point I was making.
Precisely the point I was making, I'm glad we agree. However demand when considered alone is a function of price. If supply is contracting (driving up price) (and demand is static - in order to establish the relationship between supply and the price of labour) then wages will go up. Unless the airline reduces standards. Whilst prices rise, the company will continue to hire more staff (at the higher rate) so long as the labour they provide produces a higher income.
Originally Posted by Dutch Roll
Everything unions do is always bad
In relation to the economy - Yes. That is true until the day the unio advocates individual agreements where companies can decide with individuals what they wish to pay for their labour.