Jobs concern forms policy

By Tania Martin
OLINDA trader Trish Jonescu last week highlighted the plight of hills businesses at a jobs forum.
The Olinda Golf House Café owner said there had been a massive downturn since the onset of the economic crisis and last month’s fires.
She said her business had recorded more than a $20,000 drop in sales.
Ms Jonescu said one of the biggest issues that local businesses faced was the struggle to keep staff in this difficult time.
She said competing with big business was also a major concern.
“Why would locals work for us when they could get big bucks in some call centre with all the benefit,” she said.
Hills businesses gathered at the Olinda Golf Club last Friday to air their concerns on the job market to Federal Opposition leader Malcolm Turnbull.
Some of the main concerns raised at the forum included education and training, the ability to compete with big business and the struggles of maintaining staff.
Ms Jonescu said the forum was a great chance for local businesses to come together to voice their concerns.
She said in this time of economic crisis it was vital that traders worked together to improve the market.
“We need to band together and exchange information,” Ms Jonescu said.
Mr Turnbull said he had now held more than 10 jobs forums and the same issues where continuing to come through.
He will now take all the information away and use it to help form Opposition policy.