Two Quid a Day!!

LUXURY !!
9d/hr tractor driving, but long hours gave good money.
(Agree totally with your sentiments. Our early 'shed' years were among the happiest).

That was when?

gallon of petrol for 2 bob, a house for 400 pounds?

The trouble is now they still only pay 2 quid for that ( sort of ) and people on the dole loose pay if they have worked for a few weeks and go back on the dole.

Its still a good way to make some spending money when traveling, but making a living I dont think so!

72-80Hrs a week working for CBH for 2-3 months straight 35-42 degree heat with 1 30 minute brake a day, that was what I did when I was 17.

30 odd years ago when I came to the "Great Land of Oz", I was a mechanic by trade. But there was a recession on and I couldn't get a job anywhere. Or shall I put it another way - several people told that "You Pommmy mechanics can't work on Aussie stuff".Hhmmmmmm,,,,,,,,,"Welcome to Australia", thought me.

I had a wife and child to support so I took on any job I could find. One was working as a TA for a plumbing company. I did anything and everything in that job. One job was cleaning out the human sewage filtration tower at Alcoa at Naval Base, in Perth. I was knee deep in phiss and schite for 2 weeks, emptying it with buckets!! The money was good and it kept me going.

The other "odd" happening was with the same company when I was helping to install a water pipeline on the Alcoa conveyor at Wagerup. The plumber was from South Australia and we had to weld up all the pipe supprt brackets to the side of the conveyor. He couldn't weld,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

So me, the TA had to do it!!

It was during this time that I started to doing "foreigners", fixing cars and builders trucks around the neighbourhood. Within 3 months I was taking work from the same people that wouldn't give me a job as a mechanic!! They then wanted me to come and work for them. Stuff 'em. I was printing money by then!!

They were hard times but without doubt the happiest days of our lives here in"Oz".

Bilbo

1980 $80.80/week 1st yr apprentice wage

2006 $55/hr Registered Nurse casual weekend rates.

Hi mostly old people,
There are still some of us young people willing to put in the hard yards. I have in recent times done near on a month - 6 weeks with no day off and throw in the odd 18 hour day. So one day I too will be able to tell stories like you guys.

Interesting topic though, work ethic and how it may have changed over the years.

I currently employ a guy 5 days a week who gets grumpy if he goes below 50 hours a week. Another time had 2 girls working for me who threatened to get a second job when they went below 60 hours a week.

they are hard to fing but they still exist......
NickR

Emperor Diocletian said in the 4th Century BC " The youth of today do not know what hard work is "

So whats your point Axle?

Sounds to me like you are being a Grumpy Old Man......lol

Cheers

Six and seven day weeks are nothing when you are building a business. 80-100 hours are easy to clock up in regular weeks. Before that, I started at 5 quid and the use of the farm ute.

The good thing was four double scotches could make me cheeky enough to dance with th ebest looking girls. That was just $2.00 a few years later.