Workplace

The cartoon of the DMR (now RTA) I did 20 years ago at 3 in the morning. The office thought it was good, photocopied the original and I kept the original and just recently scanned it and replaced the original handwritten text with a more readable font. Despite what appears in the drawing the overall safety of the site was quite good. For example: We were warned of the suspected carcinogen, toluol that we were washing parts in and it was withdrawn from use.

After a car accident in which I suffered a neck problem on the way home from work from the DMR job I moved to the country and ended up working in private enterprise. They used petrol to wash floors and benches which I thought was a bit weird. I now know petrol has toluene in it along with the carcinogen benzene 3% to 5%. Health and safety wasn't so good. I also know pills don't fix a neck problem.

(Q) What do you get for trying to improve working conditions?
(A) Fired due to the old lack of work excuse. That didn't concern me as I eventually would have quit. I took some photos before leaving. Check out the door. The lighting was also very poor. Three very large companies had their name on the place. No names or locations used as I'm not out to get anyone. Photos are about 11 years old.

Even as we approach the turn of the Century the full time mechanics award wage is about $12 per hour before tax. I rang about the Queensland award 3rd June 1997. The Award wage for a full time motor mechanic now stands at $441.20 a week gross (before tax). The joke played on mechanics every payday is alive and well.

The Australian dollar is worth at the time of writing $0.62 US.
Australian $441.20 (remember they tax this amount) = $273.55 US.
Divide $441 by 38 hrs = $11.61 or approximately $7.20 US per hour.

Turn of the century update. May 10, 2000. Thought I'd better get this page Y2K compliant.

The motor mechanics award wage has increased to $477.20, a rise of $36 in almost three years.
The Australian dollar is now worth $0.58.25 US.
Divide $477.20 by 38 = $12.55 or approximately $7.31 US per hour.

If in Australia ring (07) 38720550 if you doubt my word of what the full-time mechanics wage is in Queensland. Wait for the monotonous messages to finish, then press 1. If you press 1 earlier it doesn't get you through any quicker even though it says it does. Ask "how much is the full-time motor mechanics wage?" Then ask "why the %$@# am I getting charged so much for car repairs?" If you have an apprentice working on your car then you are really getting ripped off ;-), they get boiled lolly money.

?:-) Two apprentices sniffing toluene (-:? Hey man this petrol is more than 30% toluene.

They couldn't tell me what a council public s#!thouse cleaner wage was as this comes under an enterprise agreement. I must find out. I was told an ordinary contract cleaner wage is $424.20, which makes you wonder why anyone would take on the responsibility and continued learning that is necessary to perform quality repairs on today's cars with ever changing technology for an extra $53 before tax.

"To discourage work experience kids from becoming mechanics I show them my pay." Quoted from a Victorian mechanic I met at Ayres Rock in '95 (the year I gave up sniffing petrol). We still keep in touch, he's since left the trade.

I visited the ABS site (www.abs.gov.au) to find out what the average weekly earnings are for grown up males. They wanted $15 for some recent pdf. Shouldn't all this information be FREE. Read my lips F.R.E.E from a government site. I got some figures though, from a html page. I couldn't make a paper hat or a plane out of what I found out but I gathered that the February, 2000 Australian estimated average full-time adult ordinary time weekly earnings was $771.90 but I could be wrong. This makes the motor mechanics award wage $294.70 below the average weekly wage.

By Al (BM&CTD)

I hope you enjoyed this page and understand why experienced mechanics are hard to find.