AndyD

I'm a Carpenter and Joiner by trade, and have found that on average the wages here are less (as I knew they would be), I started working for a door company earning an average workshop wage of $20 p/hr (£8.30) for a normal 37hr working week here. (All the 35 out of 36 Jobs I have been offered have ranged from $17.50 - $22 p/hr on average) I the $20 job because the hours were good and the work was easy, it helped while we settled in to our new life. There is plenty of work here but you need to look in the paper weeklyto find it. I just changed jobs this week and now earning a lot more than $20, but I am still only working 38 hours and the work is just as easy as before. On site contract (self-employed) work you get more money but no super or holidays so you will need to earn at least $5 - $6 more p/hr. PM for my rate.

miamunchkin

Yeah, I don't undestand it either but it's not going to change. As i said, the only cash spinner is to work in the mines. It's too hot out there too.

He could've but he doesn't have all his tools out here yet and didn't wanna breach the visa as they are so strict

justmd

Hi I'm a chippie, been here for two months and have only just secured work - pay isn't great $22 an hour and thats casual so no benefits. It's not easy to get your foot in the door here and I think you may struggle to find enough work to work for yourself straight off. As you can imagine the main contractors have trusted subbies and they often work in gangs, so unless you team up with one of them (which is not easy being a pom and new to the country)I think the added pressure of finding work for yourself on top of settling in over here is a bit much at first, well it is for me anyway. I did run my own business in the UK so it's not that I'm wary of setting up on my own but things are slightly different over here and finding work without any local references would be tough.
Also there are loads of tradesmen arriving regularly from all over the world so it is fairly competitive. I am south of Perth so don't know much about the north but would guess it is the same.

Hope this helps - Just

Clippy

Dale doesn't get holidays now anyway, always costs us a fortune when we have holiday cus he has a loss of wages to cope with too! If Dale can earn more or less the same as here then we'd be more than happy with that

Clippy

What sort of Visa have you got?

Edit: Sorry, you've already said - I take it if you had a Skilled Indpendant there'd be no restrictions?

miamunchkin

The conditions seem to be a bit better. In fact, the workshop my partner is in, they drink beer while they work (although he doesn't). We're just south of Perth which is where most of the work (Perth area) sems to be).

I actually earn more than partner doing engineering work - never did in thr UK

AndyD

I get 4 weeks + 10 public = 30 paid holidays + you get paid for sick days here!

miamunchkin

Yeah, we'd have no restrictions but hopefully that'll be recitified soon.

I stil, think when you come here at first, you'd have to do workshop based work - it's too hot to work outside and the place is so big, you'd never find your way round

Clippy

Wow! He's never had a day off sick in his life - seriously never. I've known him have to stop the van to throw up on his way to work, but he still goes.
He's mad lol

miamunchkin

You need to prove that you are sick on the sick days - it's like a max allowance.

sassenach

hi im a brickie and roofing carpenters are on comparable money to them and thats about 250-300 a shift ,thats where the dosh is and its best to start your own team and start earning 2000 a week

miamunchkin

It's the heat that's the problem though - danger money!

Clippy

So the money is there to be earned then

miamunchkin

Not entirely sure but you hear Aussie guys on the radio saying every day that thy can't take it aby more. It can be 40 degrees on the ground and 60 on a roof - it kills them

Clippy

I read somewhere that in Oz they start at 6am and finish at 2 to avoid the worst heat - is that not right?