topic Re: Aussie dole bludgers too lazy to Work in Community Spirit

Aussie dole bludgers too lazy to Work

nero_bolt — Tue, 13 Jan 2015 21:30:36 GMT

Job snobs: Aussie dole bludgers too lazy to pick up $250 a day picking fruit

YOUNG, jobless Aussies are lazy and unwilling to break their welfare dependence, according to leading wine producers and citrus growers who are becoming ever more reliant on backpackers to stay in operation.

Despite an urgent need for unskilled workers, regional Australia is struggling to attract young people from the city despite youth unemployment in Western Sydney peaking at 17 per cent, forcing growers in the nation’s food bowls to look overseas.

Wine growers in the Hunter Valley who still rely heavily on fruit pickers, claim there has been no interest from unemployed youth in Sydney to earn easy cash — up to $250 a day — picking grapes, as the region prepares for today’s official start of the 2015 harvest.

So it is backpackers or bust, with several operators claiming without the injection of foreign workers, many wine producers in the Hunter Valley would cease to exist.

‘‘We would probably be stuffed without them. The problem is, our unemployed don’t have to work, it’s too easy for them, plus a lot of them come with baggage; real problems,’’ winemaker and former chairman of the Hunter Valley Wine Industry Association’s viticulture committee Ken Bray said.

‘‘They are too reliant on welfare and don’t want to go where the jobs are.’’

While most of Drayton Wines grapes are picked by a mechanical harvester, manager John Drayton said the winery still uses backpackers to pick from older vines.

He, like Andrew Pengilly from Tyrrells Wines, rarely gets interest from locals or those struggling to find work two hours away in Sydney.

‘‘Should unemployed youth be coming up here to pick? Well, I’m a bit old school. Yes of course. A lot of people are saying that up here,’’ Mr Drayton said.

‘‘But that is the feeling about the whole society. People are unwilling to work.”

Across the state’s Riverina, the food bowl of NSW, the need for unskilled workers continues undiminished, despite it qualifying for the Howard government initiative to give foreigners an extension to their working visa if they work three months in rural Australia.

While the need for workers grows, the appeal for unemployed city residents appears non-existent.

‘‘There are definitely a lot of opportunities in rural Australia, but it seems people think the change would be too stressful.

“We don’t have fast food joints open 24 hours a day, or big shopping centres,’’ Griffith orange grower Vito Mancini said.

‘‘Just come out for a month, try it out. Don’t say there is no work about, because there is plenty.’’

Fellow Griffith farmer David Dissegna said: ‘‘The unemployed don’t want to do this kind of work. We would be in dire straits without foreign workers.’’

Fruit growers are not the only business owners lobbying the government to relax 417 visa restrictions, ahead of the tabling of the Northern Australia Development whitepaper next month.

In regional Queensland backpackers are keeping towns afloat.

‘‘We’ll give a job to anyone who’ll pull on a pair of work boots and have a go,’’ McKinley roadhouse owner Aidan Day, 65, said.

The number of working holiday visas has grown by a third since 2008 and visas for 18-to-30-year-olds are being fast-tracked to 48 hours.

BACKPACKERS UP FOR HARD WORK IN OZ

IN Germany Denny Spaeth sits behind a desk working in a car manufacturing plant, but in Australia he is a man of the land, driving a forklift and heaving pumpkins out of the ground.

Mr Spaeth and girlfriend Jennifer Herde, a kindergarten teacher, are among the flood of European backpackers who earn travelling money working as fruitpickers. They are not afraid of a hard day’s work.

The couple arrived in Australia in August and worked for two months in Ayr, near Townsville, picking pumpkins, watermelons and squash. Mr Spaeth was able to earn $23 an hour driving a forklift.

The couple will spend the next month pricking grapes in the Hunter Valley. Mr Spaeth said they had loved their time Down Under and working on farms was hard but satisfying work.

“It’s life experience. You learn a lot about yourself and it would not be bad for young people,” he said.

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/nsw/job-snobs-aussie-dole-bludgers-too-lazy-to-pick-up-250-a-day-picking-fruit/story-fnpn118l-1227183849435

Re: Aussie dole bludgers too lazy to Work

siggie-reported-by-alarmists — Tue, 13 Jan 2015 21:34:23 GMT

$250 a day picking fruit?......... I would like to hear that confirmed by foreign workers.....lol.

Re: Aussie dole bludgers too lazy to Work

donnashuggy — Tue, 13 Jan 2015 21:34:46 GMT

Enjoy your new job nero.

Re: Aussie dole bludgers too lazy to Work

siggie-reported-by-alarmists — Tue, 13 Jan 2015 21:40:16 GMT

http://www.outback-australia-travel-secrets.com/how-much-do-you-usually-get-paid-in-fruit-picking.html

10 hours at $4 an hour according to one picker....... what are they given on the doll?

Re: Aussie dole bludgers too lazy to Work

lyne-flyn — Tue, 13 Jan 2015 21:44:45 GMT

Mr Spaeth was able to earn $23 an hour driving a forklift.

No mention though of how much his partner earnt...I assume she was picking...and believe me you would NOT earn anywhere near that for an hours picking...

Re: Aussie dole bludgers too lazy to Work

harley_babes_hoard — Tue, 13 Jan 2015 21:57:08 GMT

why would the unemployed want to pick fruit when they can sit around doing nothing and have it handed to them.

Re: Aussie dole bludgers too lazy to Work

downeyas — Tue, 13 Jan 2015 22:06:43 GMT

They actually get paid by the amount of containers they fill - I picked grapes once upon a time, many moons ago and 7 months pregnant with my twins - we were given a row, usually 2 people per, and all the containers had to be filled to overflowing to allow for the shrinkage.

I hated it, haven't eaten grapes since - that was back in 1970/71 - no welfare then & I was sleeping in my beat-up old car (that's another story lol) Was able to earn $4-5 a day, lot of money in those days, the bloke I was partnered with was earning over $15 a day, but my god, he was a worker.

Not contradicting your comment siggie, I agree with you 🙂

Re: Aussie dole bludgers too lazy to Work

this-one-time-at-bandcamp — Tue, 13 Jan 2015 22:21:01 GMT

It's the same here in the States...........that's why the growers rely on migrant workers. My senior year I picked pears, and the migrants would fill 3 bins to my one........

You know why migrants have big nostrils? They need something to pick in the off-season.

Re: Aussie dole bludgers too lazy to Work

icyfroth — Tue, 13 Jan 2015 22:29:04 GMT

@siggie-reported-by-alarmists wrote:
http://www.outback-australia-travel-secrets.com/how-much-do-you-usually-get-paid-in-fruit-picking.html

10 hours at $4 an hour according to one picker....... what are they given on the doll?

That would be the base rate. After that you'd get paid per amount picked.

Re: Aussie dole bludgers too lazy to Work

idlewhile — Tue, 13 Jan 2015 22:30:36 GMT

We would not have a fruit industry here if it wasn't for the backpacker pickers. I was travelling around Australia and every pub had a backpacker bar attendant or waitress.

There is plenty of work in this country but many don't want to travel, get experience or even bother. Tatts and **bleep**s are de rigueur but work?? no thanks.

It's sad and demeaning to take the money from the taxpayers, the people who work and do many jobs many of us wouldn't want but they're out there doing it for their family and country.

There is no free ride through life, there is no right to free money and entitlements but many think there is, every time a government tries to cut back on the river of welfare the marketplace of outrage gears up.

I see many young people working in retail, hospitality and all other positions and doing a great job so what's the problem? why can't many of the unemployed do the same, go and work, they'll never regret it.

Re: Aussie dole bludgers too lazy to Work

myoclon1cjerk — Tue, 13 Jan 2015 22:35:36 GMT

$250 per day.Haha.Where did you read that carp?Oh yes....

Je suis Rupert.

Re: Aussie dole bludgers too lazy to Work

gleee58 — Tue, 13 Jan 2015 22:39:00 GMT

@icyfroth wrote:
@siggie-reported-by-alarmists wrote:
http://www.outback-australia-travel-secrets.com/how-much-do-you-usually-get-paid-in-fruit-picking.html

10 hours at $4 an hour according to one picker....... what are they given on the doll?
That would be the base rate. After that you'd get paid per amount picked.

There is no base hourly rate. These jobs pay piece rates, either by kilo, container or bin.

Re: Aussie dole bludgers too lazy to Work

gleee58 — Tue, 13 Jan 2015 22:41:05 GMT

Another day, another attack on "dole bludgers" by newscorpse.

Re: Aussie dole bludgers too lazy to Work

idlewhile — Tue, 13 Jan 2015 22:44:00 GMT

I don't see discussing the unemployment of this country as an attack, or has free speech just got another kick in the .........

Re: Aussie dole bludgers too lazy to Work

gleee58 — Tue, 13 Jan 2015 22:47:43 GMT

@idlewhile wrote:
I don't see discussing the unemployment of this country as an attack, or has free speech just got another kick in the .........

Did you not read the OP?

Read it and see how it refers to the unemployed as lazy, good for nothings that refuse to work. Not all are in the position to take picking work hours from home.

Re: Aussie dole bludgers too lazy to Work

myoclon1cjerk — Tue, 13 Jan 2015 22:49:25 GMT

Mr Spaeth sits behind a desk at a car manufacturing plant in Germany.So why is he allowed to drive a forklift in Australia?.Did he get a forklift licence as soon as he landed here? Good luck picking fruit in the Hunter.Practically all of it is machine harvested.

Re: Aussie dole bludgers too lazy to Work

lyne-flyn — Tue, 13 Jan 2015 22:49:10 GMT

@icyfroth wrote:
@siggie-reported-by-alarmists wrote:
http://www.outback-australia-travel-secrets.com/how-much-do-you-usually-get-paid-in-fruit-picking.html

10 hours at $4 an hour according to one picker....... what are they given on the doll?
That would be the base rate. After that you'd get paid per amount picked.

No it wouldn't...you get paid by either the hr or so much per kilo...depending on what you pick.

I know this because we used to manage a smallcrops farm and I earnt $8 per hr picking zucchini, squash, tomatoes etc but if I was picking beans it was 50cents per kilo...that was a few years ago but the same thing applies now...wages are a bit higher now but not that much that anyone would earn $250 per day.

When you think about it it they had 100 pickers and bigger places would have that many, earning that much per day that is $25,000 per hr they would be paying wages...or $1250000 per week if they worked $10 per day for 5 days and a lot of places work 7 days a week...so that would be another $500,000...somehow I don't think so.

Re: Aussie dole bludgers too lazy to Work

wilk1149 — Tue, 13 Jan 2015 22:54:12 GMT

Has anyone here ever actually worked fir piece rate. I have many times and it is very hard to make money at a consist rate. Especially for weeks on end. Injury is inevitable. Most particularly repetitive strain. This is often really prevalent fir those that are new at the job. These jobs are many kilometres from home requiring accommodation costs to be met on top of paying a mortgage and all the other bills at home. All I have to show for years of working piece rate is a credit card bill I can't afford to pay now

Re: Aussie dole bludgers too lazy to Work

icyfroth — Tue, 13 Jan 2015 22:59:39 GMT

@myoclon1cjerk wrote:
Mr Spaeth sits behind a desk at a car manufacturing plant in Germany.So why is he allowed to drive a forklift in Australia?.Did he get a forklift licence as soon as he landed here? Good luck picking fruit in the Hunter.Practically all of it is machine harvested.

What's that got to do with the topic?

Seeing you can drive anywhere in most countries of Europe on your Aussie licence, why wouldn't a german forklift licence be valid here?

Assuming this is not his first visit to Australia, it's possible he got a forklift licence at an earlier time.

picky picky?

Re: Aussie dole bludgers too lazy to Work

lyne-flyn — Tue, 13 Jan 2015 23:02:55 GMT

@wilk1149 wrote:
Has anyone here ever actually worked fir piece rate. I have many times and it is very hard to make money at a consist rate. Especially for weeks on end. Injury is inevitable. Most particularly repetitive strain. This is often really prevalent fir those that are new at the job. These jobs are many kilometres from home requiring accommodation costs to be met on top of paying a mortgage and all the other bills at home. All I have to show for years of working piece rate is a credit card bill I can't afford to pay now

Not to mention having to work in all weather, rain, hail or shine.

I have picked beans in mud literally up to my thighs, in 40C heat and on mornings so cold that I had chilblains.

Having to either go iinto the bushes if you need to go to the toilet, or use a stinky portable outdoor one.

Spiders, snakes, my late husband was bitten by a snake when we were picking zucchinis, flies and every creepy crawlie know to man.

I challenge each and every person who has never done this work to do just ONE day and then see what they think.