GALLOPERS VIEWS

22.10.11 Think Before You Strike
 

..... Today at Moonee Valley a meeting was held by the Australian Jockey Association in regards to their attempt to claim Government funding for the National Jockeys Trust Fund. This fund supports injured jockeys & their families who suffer injuries while race riding. The AJA are seeking  a $5m payment from state & territory governments as a contribution to this fund. A very worthy fund this is, & in Gallopers opinion State, territory & even federal governments should support this Trust fund financially.

Gallopers are vehement supporters of jockeys & their rights. We manage jockeys for a living & understand the trials & tribulations they go through on a daily basis just to earn a living. And it is only the elite handful that make copious amounts of money, the run of the mill jockey barely scrapes through paying his bills, we can ssure you. The majority do it tough, not only financially but physically in trying to keep their weight down to the required riding weight.

Nevertheless, today's talk of strike action, at this time of the year during the height of the spring carnival is absurb in the extreme. Even the threat of strike action tarnishes jockeys with the same brush as airline workers who stike during school holidays, or brewery workers who strike at Christmas time. These workers only threaten strike action at these times to get attention & bring their employers to their knees at the busiest possible time of the year.

If jockeys strike over the spring carnival, they will lose public face, in fact, they will be ridiculed unmercifully by the public, especially those not in the racing industry & this is the time of the year the industry needs to endear themselves to non racing people, not alienate them.

Not to mention the fact that no government be they state, territory or federal would ever bow to any threat of strike action, it never happens. Gallopers believes that some of the governents concerned have only been approached once by the representatives of the AJA. Once! Do the representatives of the AJA understand how many times other industries lobby governments to try to change government policy? I can assure you it is more than once, it can be up to 20 or 30 meetings before an arrangmentis agreed upon.

Boys, please, wake up. Continue negotiations with the governments concerned, but please do not threaten strike action. Please do not alienate the public we need to endear at this time of the year. Keep riding, keep up the good work, & keep the rank & file public interested in our great sport at the prime time of the year.

Gallopers 22.10.11

Gallopers Supports Responsible Gambling