Well that sucks!!!

[Absinth]

I have been flat out in the months leading up to Christmas trying to finish the houses I had on the books to hand them over before the Christmas break and succeeded with all but one. The bosses wished me and the family a merry Xmas and safe holidays.

I came back to work Monday and found out the Qld construction manager had been made redundant the Friday before Xmas.

I got a call Tuesday from the boss and was told that due to poor sales they were closing down the building section in Victoria and I am being made redundant as of the end of the month.

So much for them being in it for the long hall and wanting someone for at least five years and not someone who was going to quite after a year or two.

I can handle being laid off but considering I packed up my whole life to move to Melbourne a bit more notice would have been nice. What sort of people allow you to go on holidays at Xmas thinking you are secure in your job only to lay you off on your second day back at work?

Must be time for a change of scenery, but where to now. Might buy a caravan and take up gold prospecting with the price of gold being so high and the 5.5kg nugget just found a Ballarat on Wednesday this week. No boss to answer to and get to enjoy the great outdoors....

[Blocker]

Very sorry to hear about this. I remember you and the families excitement of the new opportunity (and complaining of Victorian weather ).
Yes it does suck and I hope you can secure something soon.

Cheers.

[HK1837]

Sean

What are your basic qualifications. BIG money in NSW mines at the moment!

[Vombil]

That's terrible dude. A mate of mine recently left his wife and days later his small business folded after 10+years. He was promised a job on the mines up north (WA) and it all fell into a heap as he was due to start his inductions etc. I feel a change coming...

[mauser]

I agree that sucks. At least if they had told you prior to Christamas you could of used that time to search for alternatives and relocate.

Its common practice in my industry to lead contractors to believe they are getting a renewal and then let them go right at the end. I guess some organisations believe it is a risk mitigation stratagy against malicious acts or people not honouring commitments (he may of beleived if he told your prior to Christmas you may of walked before finishing the houses). I think that's extreamly short-sighted.

I hope it works out for you and the family.



Mauser

[Absinth]

Thanks Blocker,

Victorian weather hasn't improved any, bloody hot here at the moment. We went to Wye river camping over Xmas with friends and it got to 6 deg for a few nights and then hit 44 deg the Friday we left. Froze our arses off as it is the middle of summer and we took only summer clothes to the beach, then nearly had a heart attack packing up in 44 deg heat.....

Hi Byron,

30+ years in the building industry after completing a carpentry apprenticeship. Worked at Lihir gold mine in Papua New Guinea back in 1995, didn't like it much and not too keen on the idea now with a family. I am sure something will come along, I'm a pretty resourceful chappy.... Lol

[wbute]

That is not great Sean. Hope something suitable comes up!
Not all mining shifts are family un-friendly. I am on 6 days on and 6 days off, no night shift. The mine is 25 km out of orange. There are good rosters around.

[Absinth]

Gee that's not bad WB, what do you do there? As in what type of work, I wouldn't think there would be too much in the way of building construction work in a mine once it is up and running.

Food for thought.....

[wbute]

Gee that's not bad WB, what do you do there? As in what type of work, I wouldn't think there would be too much in the way of building construction work in a mine once it is up and running.

Food for thought.....

I started out as a truckie on day/night shifts. Then I moved onto the utility crew as a water cart, excavator driver but spent a lot of time moving tails lines (big poly pipes). This involves poly welding and a lot digger work. So I like that as its more on the ground stuff involving maintenance and using a lot of basic problem solving skills that are very similar to the ones used in farming. I have been lucky and have been trained on a few different machines in less than a year. I have heard that people can be stuck on trucks for 2 or 3 years before they get a go at anything else.
As for building related, don't really know.
I don't know how long I can put up with the "system" though. I love working on a crew with people (after farming on my own for so long) but the politics of management is starting to drive me nuts.

[mauser]

I guess with initatives like this in Qld will make more people move to live within easy reach of the workplace.

Mauser


http://www.couriermail.com.au/busine...-1226556166738

THE fly-in, fly-out staffing of Queensland mines that helped develop the coal mining boom was no longer guaranteed, Premier Campbell Newman said.
In a visit to Mount Isa, Mr Newman said FIFO was appropriate in remote mines but may not be necessary in projects close to cities.
"This Government believes in regional cities and towns like Mount Isa and we want to see regional Queensland built up.
"We don't want everyone to live in southeast Queensland.
"So what we have to do is take it on a case-by-case basis. If there are new mines to be built in close proximity driving distance from Mount Isa, preferably we will see the families coming here and people relocating here."
The Government has the ability to restrict FIFO through its conditions and approvals to mines. Central Queensland communities have voiced their concerns about the huge impact the rostering system has on small towns where infrastructure and services are limited.
Mr Newman also used his visit to back a second study into the northwest minerals province based around Mount Isa.
He said Queensland was missing out on jobs and investment by not developing the $10 billion worth of uranium resources.
While environmentalists maintain there is little economic benefit to uranium mining, Mr Newman found strong support from former Labor mines minister and current Mount Isa mayor Tony McGrady who said he had been fighting all his political life for the ban to be lifted.
"People haven't yet come to understand the benefits of the lifting of this ban on uranium because in the process they will be able to find other deposits of minerals which will give a second lease of life to this area," Mr McGrady said.