WARNING FOR BRICKLAYERS
 

If you intend to come to australia as a bricklayer, realise these few things:-

1. you will get no respect and be treated as a second class citizen you will probably be name called and disrespected get used to it.
2. if you work in regional australia be prepared to be employed by two faced people who are un-educated and employers who talk amongst themselves but hate each other
3. do not try and work to british standard it is void here
4. do not try and do things properly as this will scare them...

simple fact is Australian Bricklayers are not a nice bunch of people, so if you intend to work in this field takle this as a warning.

Re: WARNING FOR BRICKLAYERS
 

That's your opinion/experience though. Plenty others have different.

Re: WARNING FOR BRICKLAYERS
 

that is what i like to see, a real honest post, about what really goes on. A mum friend has told me the same, he is a brick layer, and his wife is a hairdresser. both have said the same about the people in thier trade

Re: WARNING FOR BRICKLAYERS
 

Doesn't sound like they bond well ... can't beat a British Standard every time, best in the world, shall we stand for the anthem?

Re: WARNING FOR BRICKLAYERS
 

the thing is if you come to oz thinking it will all be lovely then your in for a shock, if we had got to read a few pros and CONs we would have realised that, but on this forum it seems the CONS are sometimes hidden.

You just have to be aware that in regional oz people stick together and they are anti immigrants a lot of the time, or they fear the people who may know more than them... most tradies have done there trade since 15 not completing education/schooling so are quite stupid in 80% (ok all of them lol).. they know the oz way of doing stuff which quite franklly is sub standard and I challenge anyone to say the methods here are any good. They hate to be told a better way of doing stuff, they love to Lord over people gives them a power trip... I say 80% because 20% are ok... I have found 1 thats ok ...

take the vetassess but dont fear coming here when you have done that test as the methods used in the test itself are not used here, its very slap dash...

I love australia just hate the work ethics... ooops there are none.

Re: WARNING FOR BRICKLAYERS
 

I find posts like this fascinating - last week we had several people pleading for positive replies only cos everythig thy read was negative. This week its turned round and we have peope saying they can't find the negative posts, everything on here iis positive.
I guess it shows we all tend to just read the posts that tell us what we want to hear at the time......

I do know that Jad n Rich, amongst othetrs, have posted a lot of VERY down to earth facts about the various building trades over here - even though they usually get shouted down for it.

Re: WARNING FOR BRICKLAYERS
 

It's pretty common in construction, in my experience it's go with the flow or become very frustrated. We all have the same gripes regarding house build quality and this is why, the railway is the same take it from me. I think you've just got to chill and accept things, or set up your own company, then you'll be able to work to your own standards:)

Re: WARNING FOR BRICKLAYERS
 

Son is a Bricklayers apprentice in SA. He loves his job! He started off with a couple of Brits who took the P!ss big time.... Worked for 6.30am til 4.30pm with 1/2hr lunch and was only ever allowed to book til 3.30... never paid him a bonus and made him do all the donkey work by himself... this included setting up the scaffold, Then went bonkers at him if he didn't get it quite right:(
He worked hard, was always on time and never took one day sick, in fact didn't even have his holidays.
His wages were due to go up at the end of his first year and all of sudden they'd got no work:blink:
Luckily they were just a host company, masterbuilders found him some temporary host, and low and behold by the end of the week the Aussie brickies were on the phone begging to have him fulltime! They're much nicer, work normal hours and they share all of the work meaning that he gets to lay bricks everyday.... my boy is as happy as a the proverbial pig in poo!

Everyone's experience in Australia is unique and it's down to the individuals that you work with that leave you with a lasting impression. As far as my son is concerned the Brits were a bunch of Wan***s, he'd much prefer to work with the Aussies!

Re: WARNING FOR BRICKLAYERS
 

I'd like to warn any Polish bricklayers too...

If you intend to come to England as a bricklayer, realise these few things:-

1. you will get no respect and be treated as a second class citizen you will probably be name called and disrespected get used to it.
2. if you work in England be prepared to be employed by two faced people who are un-educated and employers who talk amongst themselves but hate each other
3. do not try and work to any standard it is void here
4. do not try and do things properly as this will scare them...

simple fact is English Bricklayers are not a nice bunch of people, so if you intend to work in this field takle this as a warning.
__________________

Re: WARNING FOR BRICKLAYERS
 

AAhh I see what ya did there Trig, very good lol, good point though

Re: WARNING FOR BRICKLAYERS
 

I don't doubt your experiences for a moment. The tone of your post would be enough to irk me if I was an Aussie tradie. Have you tried just getting on with the job instead of constantly banging on about poor standards & how much better they do things in the UK?
The last bloke I met that was having similar experiences to you did exactly that. All day long it was "We don't do it like that in the U.K" or "You'd never get away with that in the U.K" not forgetting the old classic 'Arry Enfield's "You don't wanna do it like that" He was so unhappy they upped sticks & went home where he was "respected"
Sure standards are lower here & there are many rough tradies about. What annoys them the most is having it rammed down their throats that they're doing it wrong. We immigrant tradies need to learn to adapt to their way of doing things not vice versa. It takes a while to become as rough as an Aussie tradie, it can be done if you have the patience & the time ......off for surfing, sickies, sports etc. etc.

Re: WARNING FOR BRICKLAYERS
 

Sounds like really good advice. I fully accept and realise the OP is probably 100 pct correct about this. It's probably even worse in regional centers.

Can you imagine the other way around though, that if every person from a certain country told you continuously, "There are better ways of doing things". I think that these builders expect to hear this from UK people and build up a resistance. For instance why do we need British standards in Aus... even if they are better ?

Thats not to take away from the OP's feelings, I do think its part of a horrible and steep learning curve. Probably better of in a Big City, where these things are diluted by having lots of different people around to mix with.

Re: WARNING FOR BRICKLAYERS
 

:scaredhair::scaredhair:
Blimey Cresta and myself in Full agreement mode, thats a first lol !

I do think UK people are their own worst enemies when it comes to this sort of stuff. They are definitely known across the whole of Aus... even compliant accepting worldly Melbourne. For telling people how to do things better.

Re: WARNING FOR BRICKLAYERS
 

My last post crossed with a few of these posts, yours included. I agree 100% with you, adapt improvise & forget working to British Standards your 14000 miles from Britain now!
I chose to set up on my own exactly as you suggested. My standards are as high as they were in the U.K, well maybe not quite:ohmy: My benchmark is if I wouldn't be happy with it my own house it's not good enough for someone else's:cool:

Re: WARNING FOR BRICKLAYERS
 

100% with ya, there's a guy at work just started and 'back in the UK' is never far from his lips, I've tried having a word with him, but he'll learn eventually, just trying to spare him afew 'F@@k off' s

You have to think, 'I'm here cos the Aussies think I got what it takes to learn their ways' not ' I'm here to show em how it's done'

Re: WARNING FOR BRICKLAYERS
 

hahahah I have stired up a hornets nest...

I did say 80% bad and some were good, I did not say in my post that I ever mention" the back in the UK or my way is better", infact I comply to all the rules and dont correct anything I do wat I'm told when I am told, I get shouted at, and take it just cause I can harden the f@@k up.... but I just wanted to let people who were on their way out to not expect too much and not try and change things as this is just the way it is...

but hey its my experience I wanted to share... I am sure there are people who dont have the hassles I have had or if they do they have never voiced them on a forum...

only my wife hear's about my weird days... just thought some people would like to hear what it can also be like for some people in australia.... or am I supposed to not even voice my opinions hear now???????

Re: WARNING FOR BRICKLAYERS
 

Spot on mate. I have just built my own house myself, and employed almost all Aussie tradies. I had to learn to fit in with the local way things worked very very quickly. Now I speak every few weeks on an owner builder course and one of the topics is "how to manage trades" - quite amusing that I've only been here 3 years and here I am teaching born and bred aussies how to manage aussie trades!

My electrician said to me the other day "you're not a pom, you're an aussie" which I considered to be a great compliment coming from an aussie hard working hard drinking tradie.

BB

Re: WARNING FOR BRICKLAYERS
 

Voice them all you like,thats what BE is here for :)

Re: WARNING FOR BRICKLAYERS
 

You've picked on one reply when all the others were in agreement with you. Why would you do that? Unless you want a pointless argument of course. I'm confused.

It's a discussion forum. Some will agree totally, some will disagree totally and others will agree but have a different slant on things.

Re: WARNING FOR BRICKLAYERS
 

One of my customers is an Aussie Brickie. He recently went to the UK. When he came back he said, "Aussie houses are crap aren't they."
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We had a little work done at home recently, mainly carpentry. The actual work is now covered in render so you can't see the main job. I watched them do it however and their accuracy and attention to detail was fantastic. I wasn't trying to tell them what to do but they were interested to hear about different methods.
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I do agree with the OP in regards to the warning he gives.
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When I was setting up my office, I discussed it with my wife (Aussie) and she would often say things like, "You don't need that kind of quality" or "no one will notice, don't bother" etc. etc. I stuck to my guns and did things to MY standard (not British or Aussie). I was looking for a finished result that pleased me. Every customer who has come in to the place has said, "It's nice in here isn't it."
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I seem to remember (correct me if I'm wrong) while I was still in the UK, if immigrants into the UK dared to criticise anything, we'd come down on them like a ton of bricks and remind them that they were free to leave. You can't really blame your Aussie hosts if they get a bit pissed off being told that their country isn't up to scratch.
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I live in very regional Victoria. I have never met more welcomig people or more pleasant trades persons.
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One last thing. I have acqs. who came out on skills visas. Neither of them has taken up their trade, nor does there seem any requirement for them to do so. Any one have an answer to that?

Re: WARNING FOR BRICKLAYERS
 

there ought to be a whinging pom letting off steam forum....

picture a padded sound proofed cell... baseball bat and B list perfonality of your choice... some where we can shut ourselves in and let out those primal screams that build up in us every now and a gain... so we can leave the cell an apparently normal well adjusted human being somwwwhere that what gets thrown at the walls stays on the walls of that cell...

there is already?

the barbie?

oklie doklie

ask me about nursing....:blink:

Re: WARNING FOR BRICKLAYERS
 

When I first got here, I found the site of rainwater tanks and the associated pipework all a bit untidy. However, as it rains quite a lot here, I set too and had several tanks put in; have transfer pumps and pressure pumps all over the place etc. A visitor to the site had a look at all my water provision and said, "You're very Australian, aren't you!"

I now find the site of row upon row of brick built houses as seen on UK tele programs rather unpleasant. It takes a while for the eyes to get used to the architecture and layout here, but it comes eventually.

Re: WARNING FOR BRICKLAYERS
 

OK, I'll bite....nursing in Aus, your views........

Re: WARNING FOR BRICKLAYERS
 

They've all been very nice to me:)

Re: WARNING FOR BRICKLAYERS
 

..and to me, but I only have experience in a social environment, not from a work point of view.....

Re: WARNING FOR BRICKLAYERS
 

sorry mate, I'm back at work on Saturday so I just dont have time to tell you about my views on australian nursing right now...

if I reprinted War and Peace it might be a quicker read

and more interesting

lol:(

Re: WARNING FOR BRICKLAYERS
 

I've heard a fair bit from other sources -not utopia by any means, I gather :(

Re: WARNING FOR BRICKLAYERS
 

Can I just say that over the past few months we've needed more than our fair share of hospitals and nursing staff and every single one of them has been more than brilliant and the service fantastic. I couldn't be a nurse if my life depended on it. I'm sure from your perspective there is much that is wrong but from mine it's hidden and if you need to rant you go right ahead and rant. I owe you lot masses and I'll listen. Won't be able to help but I can listen. :wub:

Re: WARNING FOR BRICKLAYERS
 

I found it severely unpleasant when I lived there (and in one!). One of the things that attracted me to living overseas was the lack of that kind of housing and the fact that I could have a house that looked different to every other in the street without the planning department preventing me.

BB

Re: WARNING FOR BRICKLAYERS
 

awww thankyou...:wub:

Re: WARNING FOR BRICKLAYERS
 

My pleasure. Two different hospital, two different states, three different procedures, one service - superb.

Re: WARNING FOR BRICKLAYERS
 

did you ever write and say thank you?

all the hospitals keep statistics of thanks and complaints... written thankyous are the most prized

ED staff dont appear to get the choccies and flowers other nurses seem to...

coz sick / damaged people go on elsewhere to get better, if you've just totalled yer car you probably don't have a box of black magic to hand even if you do walk out of the dept after we finished patching you up...and drunks are seldom grateful...

we get the abuse

Re: WARNING FOR BRICKLAYERS
 

Sorry if my reply seemed a bit flippant. I have been in to hospital twice on the public system. All free and a service second to none.

If you take the nurses out of hospitals, what have you got left? Doctors, machines and beds. You wouldn't stand a chance!

Thanks to all nurses. :thumbup: Buggered if I could do it.

And yes, I wrote and said thank you.

Re: WARNING FOR BRICKLAYERS
 

Two 'issues' are current and ongoing so lots of personal thanks but no letters as yet. One is 99.9% over and yes, they got my thanks, both in a card and in person.

ED staff are a step beyond. The crap that has to be dealt with is horrendous and the 'good' people you care for move onto other parts of the hospital and you don't get to see the rewards.

Re: WARNING FOR BRICKLAYERS
 

Bloody nurses... get paid to do a job... you dont get bricklayers whinging coz they dont get thankyous and flowers do you?

:rofl:

Re: WARNING FOR BRICKLAYERS
 

In Queensland at the moment, you'd be lucky to get paid. New computer system that is crap and thousands of nurses either not getting paid or not getting the right amount but strangely, the amount isn't more than they should get. Last I heard from a doctor we've seen a lot of was an email going out asking them to stop complaining, they were trying to sort it. :eek:

Re: WARNING FOR BRICKLAYERS
 

That is so true. I remember my sister complaining about Polish shops that had 'taken over' where she lives and replaced 'English shops' and Polish newspapers and how the jobs had gone to the Polish etc.

When I pointed out that we have English shops in Australia and there is even a magazine called the Whinging Pom, she told me that was different.

Except it isn't and yes, a foreigner that slates the UK would more than likely be told to 'go home' in no uncertain words and can you imagine if they dared to compare it to Iraq/Poland/India?

Yet the comparisons happen here all the time and I have done it myself with some things and then realised just how hypocritical it sounds.:o