Opinion

Melbourne Cup favour

The Rees Government isn't talking about its refusal to grant a public holiday in NSW for the Melbourne Cup, and so we can only surmise that the most passionate opponent to the proposal has had more than a little sway over the Labor government. That opponent is the NSW Business Chamber, the club for employees, and yesterday I asked the chamber's Paul Ritchie for the reasons for the opposition.

I did that because it seems to me that the first Tuesday of November has greater claims to a public holiday nationally, and in NSW, than the Queen's Birthday in June and Labour Day in October. It's not about Melbourne, or even horse racing, and the overwhelming majority of people who celebrate the day are not in Melbourne or into horseracing.

But not all workers are free to celebrate. The boss takes the sycophants and his favourite girls from the office to the party and the unfortunate are left behind to wear a party hat for the 10 minutes of the 3pm broadcast. Why should the holiday for such a nationally significant event be determined by the boss's grace? We introduced anti-discrimination law to protect the unfortunate from the bosses' lack of grace, and so we should do something for those left behind in the office.

Here are the NSW Business Chamber's arguments against a cup holiday:

since NSW has 2.4 million fulltime workers earning an average of $241.82 a day, a public holiday would cost the state $580 million (no mention of existing loss due to the bosses and their favoured minions prancing off to cup parties for the day);

there's already a lot of give and take because all workers stop working for afternoon tea or a party lunch to watch the cup at work;

workers would miss the camaraderie of watching the cup at work with their workmates if they were sitting at home alone on a holiday;

people would want to make it a four-day weekend by taking the Monday off as a sickie;

the business chamber has never argued against a public holiday where there is a significant community or national interest, and Mr Ritchie mentioned Australia Day, Anzac Day and Christmas Day as examples of that largesse.

Should a Labour government be swayed by such nonsense? And should we have a public holiday for the Melbourne Cup?

Posted By: Jeff Corbett on 4/11/2009 4:57:00 PM | Comments (19)

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Any boss that is so clumsy as to take a select (decorative) gaggle of the team to a party should get what he or she deserves : an understandably disloyal, undermotivated and underproductive workforce. The Business Chamber has not added back the amount the holidaying workers would likely spend at Melb Cup lunches, the pub, restaurants. There could actually be a benefit to the economy, through a spike in consumer spend! Having said all that, Melb Cup day does seem a bit of a farce., even in Melbourne. The serious punters I know (I'm not one of them) avoid Melb Cup. It's a bit like New Year's Eve to the serious party animal ~ amateur hour, catering to the the dilletantes. [Would comrade Clare have an opinion re a paid day of recreation for the working class? Sounds like worker's paradise, eh? Utopia! I'm guessing Kim Jong-Il gives the adoring flock a day's R&R each year for the Pyongyang Derby. After they have dug up a bushel of stunted cabbages from the toxic permafrost, of course. Comrade?]

Posted by Abundance, 5/11/2009 9:24:00 AM, on The Herald

why wouldnt people living in wretched circumstances want to risk all to go to "a Land downunder" where its all about how many more fun days we can have? the next verses are added with the understanding that the JC pays the royaties for the flute rift you all will imagine as you chant them!....... "Lying in a den in Bombay With a slack jaw, and not much to say I said to the man, "Are you trying to tempt me Because I come from the land of plenty?" And he said, "Oh! Do you come from a land down under? (oh yeah yeah) Where women glow and men plunder? Can't you hear, can't you hear the thunder? You better run, you better take cover." why wouldnt anybody climb over mountains, swim through crocadile infested rivers, risk rapine from pirates, lose members of family - all to drink beer and play skittles - heck until JC "blew it" there was even free beer at brothels. Why would they not? I ask want to join the land of the melbourne cup?

Posted by notashrink, 5/11/2009 9:31:55 AM, on The Herald

Seeing as there is a distinct lack of public holidays in the latter half of the year a new one would be quite welcome. If it was granted I wouldn't have to sit at work while the boss and his favourites prance off to Sydney to spend $1000's on hiring a 30m boat and cruising around the harbour while scoffing free champers and prawns and then come into work with hangovers the next day and say sorry but we can't afford a new fridge in the lunchroom because the company's finances are a bit tight at the moment. So yes, a Melbourne Cup holiday would be nice. The bosses don't want it because then they might accidently bump into a commomer on one of their special "management only" soirees. Sorry if I seem a bit jaded with management types but this is the same boss who told his upper level staff that he doesn't want them associating with us common workers after hours. I actually feel more pity towards them than annoyance. Anyway, that's my rant for the day, cheers.

Posted by G, 5/11/2009 9:51:38 AM, on The Herald

G - your bosses sound like losers. Abandon ship!

Posted by Abundance, 5/11/2009 10:34:33 AM, on The Herald

I was reading the NH article on Jeff's neighbour, Emilie Ades, being named Australia's best body artist. We all know Jeff's views on tattoos but i thought if we all through in we could get him painted for christmas and he could view things,temporarily, from a different perspective.Any suggestions what Emilie could paint ?

Posted by chaff and oats, 5/11/2009 10:39:47 AM, on The Herald

i detest seeing the useless socialites parading on the tv showing off their fake tans, borrowed jewellery, clothing and shoes, and acting as if they are doing something important simply by posing in front of the cameras showing the world how beautiful they are. could there ever be a more useless, parasitic group of people ever get together in the same place?

Posted by senior sergeant smith, 5/11/2009 10:52:05 AM, on The Herald

They're usually described as tireless workers for charity or, if they're male, as philanthropists.

Posted by Jeff Corbett on 5/11/2009 11:02:33 AM

If it was a public holiday, we wouldn't have these tiresome "work functions" - we'd spend the day living a life instead.

Posted by stevo, 5/11/2009 11:19:06 AM, on The Herald

Race days are just a meger excuse to get blind drunk. Stick your head in over at NJC on boxing day. Did I hear correct when the winning jockey was interviewed "I can't believe I won the Melbourne cup". I would have thought it was 500 kilos of raw horse muscle and heart that won it, while being whipped down the strait. The best part of the canival was Olivia Newton-John.

Posted by Buell, 5/11/2009 11:27:08 AM, on The Herald

Agreed, Buell. ONJ singing Xanadu was the highlight of my brief tv watching.......

Posted by Abundance, 5/11/2009 12:15:23 PM, on The Herald

Hate to say it but i agree with Buell. Just another excuse to chuck a sickie and get blind drunk. I think a public holiday is actially more fitting for the day than Labour day, just swap days, costs the State nothing. Probably saves a fair bit due to alot of people takeing sick leave on Melbourne Cup day.

Posted by Nafe, 5/11/2009 12:17:53 PM, on The Herald

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