Reading—A beer with Baz Bazza had a Jimmy Buffet album playing in the back shed as Mick once again skirted the side of the house and joined him for the now regular Friday a9ernoon beers. Bazza passed Mick a stubby and turned the volume of the old casse@e player up to listen to Come Monday. Vol 16 September 15th 2017 28 April December 7th, 2017 Vol 48 27th 2018
They both stretched back in the deck chairs, took a generous drink, and took in the lyrics of the song. “Well come Monday, Bazza and I reckon the first stop for you is the barber. You look like a woolly mammoth and a grey one at that.” Gazza had a half chuckle. “Yeah Mick, I feel like a bit of a hippy these days. Fran reckons my sense of dress has gone downhill since the lockdown, and she drew the line the other day when I walked around the house in the nude.” Mick splu@ered his beer. “Crikey, Bazza, there’s a thought you could of spared me, but I am looking forward to Monday. It will be good to do some of the mundane things like going to shops other than the supermarket, sit down at the coffee shop, catch a movie at the cinema, maybe even enjoy a meal at a restaurant and best of all back to the pub for a beer……And you will probably need a shearer rather than a barber.” Mick raised an eyebrow and scanned Bazza’s backyard as Jimmy Buffet con>nued in the background. “Well, you have to spare a thought for all those front line workers that will make all those things happen, Mick. There seems to be a huge expecta>on on them as to who to serve, proof of vaccina>on, people arguing discrimina>on, policing mask wearing and so on.” They both enjoyed another generous drink. “You see Mick these jobs are all usually pre@y low paid and now there is an extra level of responsibility, and I dare say, risk to their own wellbeing. You can imagine how many people like you and me they have to come into contact with next week. I might even say it’s a bit riskier than facing a press conference at 11.00am each day where physical distancing is enforced.” “Come off it, Bazza, we’ve got to open up the economy and get everyone back to work. We can’t go on relying on government handouts.” “Fully agreed Mick, but remember before the pandemic, even the Reserve Bank was concerned about the lack of wage growth in Australia. You see, your mates in government have done everything to reduce the bargaining power of workers and undermine job certainty in these sectors. Now… from Monday onwards they are being called on to exercise even more responsibility on these low wages. You see Mick, a fair wage and employment security generates confidence for people to spend and get the economy moving.” Mick shook his head. “Crikey, Bazza, one beer and you’re talking revolu>on.” “Not at all, Mick. I’m at one with the Reserve Bank and they are hardly radical. Let’s do what’s fair. Let’s set an example with the public sector. I mean do you really reckon the average person thinks all our health care workers should be rewarded with just a couple of percent wage increase, given their workloads and ongoing risks to their own health. Mate….. you have teachers trying to maintain some semblance of educa>on with online learning and now expect them to return to teach largely unvaccinated students with the promise of a similar increase.” Mick was about to respond when Bazza leaned across and turned up the volume further to Jimmy Buffet’s Changes in La#tudes, Changes in `AEtudes. Have a beer with Baz at john.longhurst59@gmail.com beagle weekly : Vol 228 October 8th 2021
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