FIFO - a question of fairness

[yadreamin]

I was reading about FIFO workers the other day and was really intrigued. I find it an interesting glimpse into the age old argument of fairness. You'll often hear people complain about how unfair things are. How if only they were given the chance - the opportunities that only the rich get. But here you have a large number of people that were given the chance to make obscene amounts of money and blew it. To be sure, not everyone blew it - some did the right thing and were responsible, invested their money etc. But many did not.

Does anyone know any FIFO workers that have gone from rags to riches then back again? I'm curious - do they at least acknowledge that they screwed up, or do they still see the world as unfair? Are they still bitter about those corporate fat cats?

I've never seen such a great opportunity for huge numbers of the working poor to get RICH, and I'm curious to see whether it has changed their attitudes about money and social "fairness".

Please don't bundle us FIFO all into the same box.
Like any profession,suburb,school,office block, some make it some don't.
I have heard of kids working at maccas saving every dollar and buying an ip when they turn 18 others at maccas have just spent their money on more maccas.
The only difference with all of us is the 0s that follow the $ sign and how we make it work for us.
Like anything , the media grab the minority and blow it out of proportion . They will always find a hard luck story. That's the media.
In my department here in FIFO land we have a 75% turnover of staff. It's hard to deal with l can tell you. But what we get is a lot of kids come up here to buy a car, overseas trip,pay their hec, s or credit card debt.
The Other majority is middle aged women who have divorced and are trying to re set their lives up financially .
They are the ones that stay, manage and make it work for them.
I talk to the miners everyday and l can tell you the majority have done pretty damn nicely thank you very much because they have been around before and know all too well that she booms and busts just like the property cycle goes up and down. By the way l would have to say the majority of the fellas up here are all over 40.
A lot have lost their jobs now with the down turn, they move on settle for less money and when she booms again they will prolly look at coming back and make the $s work a bit harder for them.
This iron ore boom has been fantastic for the Australian economy. The opportunities it's given so many across the country and further afield in so many different areas.
Don't knock it and don't knock those who have tried to make the most of it.
I hope you benefited in some way from the boom.
Maybe look for an opportunity to profit from the next boom. I know there is lots of great big yellow dump trucks going cheap if you can find a buyer
Me ,well l am lucky that l was/ am fit and healthy enough to come up here and work my but off for the last 3 years to recover from some bad, ip investment decisions, and big losses from the GFC. Thank God for mining. I am now hoping to push ahead and score an offshore job, so l can really start building my finacial security for the future
Cheers
Yadreamin

 

[ellejay]

Hey yadreamin

No one wants to hear a positive story, its just not news is it? I'm not FIFO but probably set up for life like many others with a few small sacrifices working remote. As you said, like anything in life, some blow it or abuse the chances they have. Many do extremely well but you wont read their stories in the media, not enough drama.

 

[Brono]

I worked at a mine in the Plibaras from 2012 to earlier this year.
I wasn't on the best pay out there, but for a single guy with no expenses it was alot to me.
So many people, at least that I was exposed to, where blowing their hard earned pay on toys and grog. Seems like such a waste to me.
I put away 95k and quit for a change of lifestyle. I'm now looking to use that money on property.

When I started out there I told people my plan was to save. I guess most don't, as everyone kept telling me I'd cave and buy new cars and what not.

 

[Arnoldus]

a lot of them these days are so soft it's ridiculous, whining in the newspaper about how tough it is etc on their 9 and 5. When I first went to site my roster was a 1 way ticket to the great sandy desert and when you want a break you accrue some leave and use one of your 3 company provided flights home for the year. And no there was no internet, no facebook, no mobiles. There was 1 x company landline that you were allowed to use occasionally with permission. Miss your mum? write her a letter

Doesn't every generation think those who came after them are too soft, and have it easier than themselves?

 

[Ausprop]

Doesn't every generation think those who came after them are too soft, and have it easier than themselves?

they think it because it is probably true tho. I'd be too dam embarrassed to come out with all this rubbish they pour out in the newspaper

 

[Brono]

they think it because it is probably true tho. I'd be too dam embarrassed to come out with all this rubbish they pour out in the newspaper

"The children now love luxury; they have bad manners, contempt for authority; they show disrespect for elders and love chatter in place of exercise. Children are now tyrants, not the servants of their households. They no longer rise when elders enter the room. They contradict their parents, chatter before company, gobble up dainties at the table, cross their legs, and tyrannize their teachers."
Socrates (469-399 B.C.)


every generation complains about the next, dating atleast back to the ancient Greeks

 

[Blacky]

Just one more...

we promise not to waste the next one.

 

[Blacky]

If you are working FIFO for the money, you're insane.

I have been in this gig for about 6years now, and have learned to love it.
Its not an easy lifestyle and places a lot of pressure on your relationships.
Working 12hr days in extreme conditions, in the middle of nowhere isn't for everyone.

On the flip side, with the right rotation, you get paid well and get a lot of time off.
How you spend your time off will largely determine how lucrative it is. Once you learn to manage yourself, your rotation and your relationships the lifestyle on offer becomes very addictive.

If you've never done it - don't knock it.
If you've done it and didn't like it - good for you for having a crack.
If you are doing it and hate it - leave
If you are doing it and love it - yeah... you know what Im talking about.

Blacky

 

[BayView]

I worked at a mine in the Plibaras from 2012 to earlier this year.
I wasn't on the best pay out there, but for a single guy with no expenses it was alot to me.
So many people, at least that I was exposed to, where blowing their hard earned pay on toys and grog. Seems like such a waste to me.
I put away 95k and quit for a change of lifestyle. I'm now looking to use that money on property.

When I started out there I told people my plan was to save. I guess most don't, as everyone kept telling me I'd cave and buy new cars and what not.

Well done!!

Of course; you realise that you are different form the herd; being here on SS is testament to that.

I don't mean that in a nasty or critical way - the majority of folks are like those you have described, the minority of folks are (property) investors, and the minority of investors are here.

 

[Blacky]

The same can be said for any industry though.

I used to work in a bank and had numerous conversations with senior managers (including the state manager at the time) about finances, investments etc. I quickly came to realize that the vast majority of them were mortgaged to the hilt, driving a very nice car which was fully funded and had credit card debts they struggled to climb over. Very few of them (if any) had an investment property - though some dabbled in shares.
And these were 'supposedly' very highly financially astute people who provided advice and direction to multi-million dollar companies.
They would probably laugh at the barrow island guys on $1,000/day ("why would you do THAT for such a piddly amount?").
The only difference between the two 'sectors' is that the guys on the tools are traditionally 'low-average' income earners who are now making good money. Their lifestyles (in theory) haven't caught up to their income levels.

Blacky

 

[jim1964]

I don't necessarily agree that squirreling and investing your money is objectively the 'right thing'. The world wouldn't function if everyone was an investor.

Many years ago when i was an apprentice, the Boss told me "life isnt about only paying bills". That has stayed with me my whole life.

 

[topcropper]

There's always been a bit of jealousy from the better educated types when tradies and other less educated like miners make it big. This thread seems like that to me? Who cares if miners were making 150 k a year? Or plumbers? A lot still are and good on em I say.

And why on earth is it a "question of fairness"? Sounds like someone thinks they missed out?


See ya's.

 

[jerrybee]

And why on earth is it a "question of fairness"? Sounds like someone thinks they missed out?

Nope. I'm making pretty good money where I am.

Perhaps my original post wasn't clear. My point is, for about 10-15 years everyone was on an even playing field. Everyone had the potential to make 150-300k a year. My question is, did this change anyone's perceptions of fairness? It flattens the order of things. You can't be yelling out at corporate fat cats if you're making the same money as them. You can't be jealous of Jonny Rich down the road that went to private school when you're now earning double what he is. This is what my post centered around. It's nothing about bitterness or looking down at people. It's about the perception of social / economic equality when we have a situation where everyone is basically equal, at least in terms of opportunity.

 

[nhg]

You can't be yelling out at corporate fat cats if you're making the same money as them. You can't be jealous of Jonny Rich down the road that went to private school when you're now earning double what he is.

Trust me... you can. Heard it every day on the construction sites out in the sticks.

The only person I can genuinly say walked away better off was one of the lower paid labourers about my age. Had a wife and kid.
Bought a $60k caravan in a caravan park. The pimpest caravan he could find by the beach. Paid it off by the time the job finished and now does what he wants with his savings whilst he has an average paying job in the area.

Everyone else had nothing left other than new cars and boats and had to move on to the next site and pay their own way there. They knew things would change... only another 3 years and theyd be out... yeah right.

 

[wilkie0611]

Being on barrow I have seen both sides of the coin, I know alot of people that have saved serious amounts of money and I also know alot of people that dont have a cent to there names from being here (which is quite sad really). Yes the lifestyle isnt for everyone 26 on 9 off or 8 weeks on 3 weeks off if your a foreigner but if you have a plan, stick to it and make it work for you it definitely has its rewards

 

[BayView]

There's always been a bit of jealousy from the better educated types when tradies and other less educated like miners make it big. This thread seems like that to me? Who cares if miners were making 150 k a year? Or plumbers? A lot still are and good on em I say.

And why on earth is it a "question of fairness"? Sounds like someone thinks they missed out?


See ya's.

I think the OP was referring to those folks who are not rich, and view those who are rich as folks who had more opportunity to get there as "lucky" etc.

And how unfair the not-rich folk think it all is that they aren't rich - even though they had an opportunity to do so, then blew it....and probably don't even realise they had the opportunity - or even worse; they do realise they blew it.

Sorta like a sour-grapes type scenario?

 

[Ed Barton]

Not everyone wants to sacrifice today for tomorrow. It doesn't make them dumb, uneducated, or whatever, it simply means they want to live for the moment.

I know a guy works on a rig earning big bucks doing 2 weeks on, 2 off. He loves working long (not hard!) then getting two weeks off. He holidays in Asia at least ever second rotation off. The FIFO money funds regularly holidays and the FIFO work schedule enables it. He loves the lifestyle.

 

[sanj]

Not everyone wants to sacrifice today for tomorrow. It doesn't make them dumb, uneducated, or whatever, it simply means they want to live for the moment.

I know a guy works on a rig earning big bucks doing 2 weeks on, 2 off. He loves working long (not hard!) then getting two weeks off. He holidays in Asia at least ever second rotation off. The FIFO money funds regularly holidays and the FIFO work schedule enables it. He loves the lifestyle.

If it means that person then has to retire on the govt teat in the future because of their frivolus spending then this person is undoubtedly a bit of a d#ck and a bludger.

If someone is self sufficient they're entitled to spend on whatever they want, whenever they want.

It's certainly possible for people to both live in the moment as well as plan for the future, especially when they're on big bucks like your mate

 

[BayView]

Not everyone wants to sacrifice today for tomorrow. It doesn't make them dumb, uneducated, or whatever, it simply means they want to live for the moment.

As Sanj said.

From my experience, those who live for the moment often end up at the end with very little and then have to live off the Gubb and "enjoy" a life of less - pension.

Now; that's fine with me; but don't whine about having to live on the pension....which oh, so many of them do.

They wear it like a badge.

From my experience, these same folks often also begrudge the "rich folks" their lot....

Those "rich folk" - who sacrificed the now moment for a while to set themselves up for a nice later-on as well.

Given that the majority of the population are on average wages or below, it is very much in their interest to do the harder yards; not live in the now moment quite so hard, and possibly set themselves up a better life for now, later and at the end.

Many folks here in this fishbowl which is SS seem to assume that everyone is on the gravy train and can freely spend, save and invest all at the same time.

That is not reality for the vast majority out there.