COVID-19: who’s going full doomsday prep on this?

treble

Likes Dirt
Yep.
Fuck me. For months Naomi’s (ICU nurse) tea room was closed with Covid concerns. They were told that if they wanted to eat (on a 12h shift), they had to leave the hospital, ideally eat in their cars. No melt down, continued to work while their reps worked towards a solution, and an outside area at the hospital was set up.
They still have only 2 opportunities to drink on a 12h shift.
These whiny cunts are pathetic. Fuck um.
I've avoided this thread until recently because I cant be bothered with more pointless covid discussion. But I just wanted to share another side of the tea room debate.
I'll start by saying I don't disagree with Moorey, some workers are being petulant children and overreacting to being asked to do as many others have done for a while. As someone who was present in the industry, but did not participate in "eat your lunch on the road day" my impression was that, for the most part, it was a piss-take and not particularly serious, even if in poor taste.

However, the one thing those unfamiliar with large construction and trade unions might not understand is that "smoko sheds" are widely viewed by both the unions and workers as a hard fought entitlement. There are older generations of workers still on sites today that will have spent time on strike, not making any income, fighting to force builders to provide somewhere warm and dry for people to sit down and eat their lunch. Any suggestion of concession to these entitlements is viewed as a slippery slope back to the old days and a erosion of workers rights.
Sheds and site amenities come at considerable cost to builders, they are always looking at ways to minimise these costs. The worry is that if they are no longer allowed to be used, why put amenities in at all? just look at your average domestic building site. This is more than likely the motivation behind the bullish response from the industry.

I will also point out, for the last year or so the sheds I've have been in have had very strict social distancing, density limits, split usage times and cleaning schedule in line with the suggested guidelines. so, in my experience anyway, it wasn't a bunch of blokes sitting shoulder to shoulder anyway.

I'm not saying I agree with any of this. Personally I mostly try and eat lunch outside to get some fresh air and sunshine. I've just heard and read a lot of comments lately from people outside of the industry that don't seem to understand the motivation behind these actions.
 

ashes_mtb

Has preferences
What I love is the unions protesting on their rights to a tea room and to put others at risk thru no vax, by infringing on the rights of others to go about their business and by putting them at risk by walking onto freeways. Amazing scenes.
 

moorey

call me Mia
I've avoided this thread until recently because I cant be bothered with more pointless covid discussion. But I just wanted to share another side of the tea room debate.
I'll start by saying I don't disagree with Moorey, some workers are being petulant children and overreacting to being asked to do as many others have done for a while. As someone who was present in the industry, but did not participate in "eat your lunch on the road day" my impression was that, for the most part, it was a piss-take and not particularly serious, even if in poor taste.

However, the one thing those unfamiliar with large construction and trade unions might not understand is that "smoko sheds" are widely viewed by both the unions and workers as a hard fought entitlement. There are older generations of workers still on sites today that will have spent time on strike, not making any income, fighting to force builders to provide somewhere warm and dry for people to sit down and eat their lunch. Any suggestion of concession to these entitlements is viewed as a slippery slope back to the old days and a erosion of workers rights.
Sheds and site amenities come at considerable cost to builders, they are always looking at ways to minimise these costs. The worry is that if they are no longer allowed to be used, why put amenities in at all? just look at your average domestic building site. This is more than likely the motivation behind the bullish response from the industry.

I will also point out, for the last year or so the sheds I've have been in have had very strict social distancing, density limits, split usage times and cleaning schedule in line with the suggested guidelines. so, in my experience anyway, it wasn't a bunch of blokes sitting shoulder to shoulder anyway.

I'm not saying I agree with any of this. Personally I mostly try and eat lunch outside to get some fresh air and sunshine. I've just heard and read a lot of comments lately from people outside of the industry that don't seem to understand the motivation behind these actions.
I get what you’re saying, and I’m not pitiless to your plight, but circumstances have changed everywhere, and these are pretty special circumstances as I see it. It’s not like smoko rooms are being permanently stripped, though I’m sure that’s the line some will push.
98% have and will continue to do the right thing, but as with everything, a few have and will continue to spoil it for the rest.
The last 18 months for my wife and most on the front line have been nothing short of horrific, and it’s only going to get worse. The actions of irresponsible people everywhere are compounding it.
 

treble

Likes Dirt
What I love is the unions protesting on their rights to a tea room and to put others at risk thru no vax, by infringing on the rights of others to go about their business and by putting them at risk by walking onto freeways. Amazing scenes.
please be sure to differentiate between the union organizations and a bunch of lunatic union members (and others taking advantage).
As a union member (ETU) I have never received any advice other than to get vaccinated and follow the rules in order to stay working.
 

treble

Likes Dirt
I get what you’re saying, and I’m not pitiless to your plight, but circumstances have changed everywhere, and these are pretty special circumstances as I see it. It’s not like smoko rooms are being permanently stripped, though I’m sure that’s the line some will push.
98% have and will continue to do the right thing, but as with everything, a few have and will continue to spoil it for the rest.
The last 18 months for my wife and most on the front line have been nothing short of horrific, and it’s only going to get worse. The actions of irresponsible people everywhere are compounding it.
Definitely agree, its very special circumstances, so in principle I agree with smoko shed closures. I'm just trying to give insight into the reason for the pushback from the industry. We aren't all unreasonable angry dicks, we just look the same as the loons because of the hi-vis
 

Elbo

pesky scooter kids git off ma lawn
Also amazing how a bunch of heavily tattooed blokes are afraid of needles.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Way to misrepresent their concerns. I suppose you agree with Shorten that they are all "man-baby Nazi's"?
 

cokeonspecialtwodollars

Fartes of Portingale
please be sure to differentiate between the union organizations and a bunch of lunatic union members (and others taking advantage).
As a union member (ETU) I have never received any advice other than to get vaccinated and follow the rules in order to stay working.
Not having anything much to do with unions (except for a brief period where I was bullied into joining one as an impressionable apprentice) is there any mechanism within them to hold members accountable if they were acting outside union directives or deemed to be misrepresenting the union today (or on any other occasion)?
 

oliosky

Likes Bikes and Dirt
I kinda love all of this. There was a certain inevitability that this was where it was going to come to a head. There is a going to be a genuine "blue collar" split post all this malarkey. The tradies who have clue and understand that you have to have a seat at the table to play the game, and the battlers who break stuff up and throw it in a skip bin.

Prediction: lockdowns may end a week or so sooner if NSW gets on board given that this country doesn't stop construction.
 

treble

Likes Dirt
Not having anything much to do with unions (except for a brief period where I was bullied into joining one as an impressionable apprentice) is there any mechanism within them to hold members accountable if they were acting outside union directives or deemed to be misrepresenting the union today (or on any other occasion)?
Yeah, they certainly aren't saints by any stretch.
There aren't any established avenues for the union to punish members that I'm aware of. However, having a black mark next to your roll number would make life very difficult going forward. And when these people are fired for breaking the law while wearing company uniform, how helpful is their union rep likely to be?
 

caad9

Likes Bikes and Dirt
Definitely agree, its a very special circumstances, so in principle I agree with smoko shed closures. I'm just trying to give insight into the reason for the pushback from the industry. We aren't all unreasonable angry dicks, we just look the same as the loons because of the hi-vis
A female staff member of mine was working today (which she is allowed to do) and wearing hi-viz. A lady in a car stopped beside her on the footpath and berated her then drove on her merry way, didn’t ask what she was doing, just let rip.

Appreciate you are industry and there are some good people in there, but vaccines are the way forward and the only way any of us move forward is if these idiots and their mates pull their heads in.

I believe this show of stupidity will tarnish the construction industry for a long time to come and all of a sudden these blokes will have no wage, rather than triple figure incomes for picking up rubbish and filling skips. Wonder how they will fare then?
 

treble

Likes Dirt
A female staff member of mine was working today (which she is allowed to do) and wearing hi-viz. A lady in a car stopped beside her on the footpath and berated her then drove on her merry way, didn’t ask what she was doing, just let rip.

Appreciate you are industry and there are some good people in there, but vaccines are the way forward and the only way any of us move forward is if these idiots and their mates pull their heads in.

I believe this show of stupidity will tarnish the construction industry for a long time to come and all of a sudden these blokes will have no wage, rather than triple figure incomes for picking up rubbish and filling skips. Wonder how they will fare then?
Yeah I hate that for the next 6 months I’ll be associated with these idiots. Especially as they are the loud MINORITY amongst the industry.
Data I have seen collected on vaccination status suggests the uptake of vaccines is much higher amongst the construction industry than the loud mobs would suggest.
 

Mattyp

Cows go boing
Yeah I hate that for the next 6 months I’ll be associated with these idiots. Especially as they are the loud MINORITY amongst the industry.
Data I have seen collected on vaccination status suggests the uptake of vaccines is much higher amongst the construction industry than the loud mobs would suggest.
After seeing a few anti hi-viz brigade posts on social media last night, I drove to work in plain clothes today and put on my hi-vis once I was on site, don't want to be associated with those fuckwits, will probably be doing so for a while.
 

Dales Cannon

lightbrain about 4pm
Staff member
Oh dear... I too come from construction albeit heavy industry rather than commercial and the other side of the fence where I have seen plenty of claims real and imaginary. And I HAVE seen some dumb and ridiculous shit.

This is not about the erosion of some previously gained right to sit in a shed and speak shit over lunch. Those conditions are laid down in each and every award and agreement across the country. The union would be the first to make a noise and rightly so. It is about a temporary stay on proceedings to make the workplace safe and so that (hopefully) workers go home without catching or passing on this virus. What a crock of shite, make up something to justify being a fucktard.

Deleted deleted deleted deleted deleted deleted deleted deleted deleted.

Whatever, if that is what they think then they are even dumber than I thought.
 

Haakon

Keeps on digging
Social Media is degrading society - there’s more people worried about filming it for their fake friends than actual protesting
And overloading the mobile phone towers and then complaining about signal jammers! So much dumb…
 

treble

Likes Dirt
Oh dear... I too come from construction albeit heavy industry rather than commercial and the other side of the fence where I have seen plenty of claims real and imaginary. And I HAVE seen some dumb and ridiculous shit.

This is not about the erosion of some previously gained right to sit in a shed and speak shit over lunch. Those conditions are laid down in each and every award and agreement across the country. The union would be the first to make a noise and rightly so. It is about a temporary stay on proceedings to make the workplace safe and so that (hopefully) workers go home without catching or passing on this virus. What a crock of shite, make up something to justify being a fucktard.

Deleted deleted deleted deleted deleted deleted deleted deleted deleted.

Whatever, if that is what they think then they are even dumber than I thought.
I think I've been misunderstood. I never suggested that yesterday and todays mob behavior was somehow justified by tea rooms being taken away. its my understanding that the riots were over mandated vaccination and various other conspiracy theories, not even related to tea rooms. But I cant be sure, I wasn't there and I don't know anyone who was. If people WERE using it as justification for such behavior then they are even bigger idiots.

Besides, the tea room issue was solved on Friday night when the unions decided we would not take any breaks and leave work early until a better arrangement could be found. I was simply trying to share some insider perspective to people who say "its just a tea room, big deal"

My job puts me on sites running the gamut from very large union sites to very small domestic sites. I can assure you site amenities are not part of "each and every award and agreement across the country." Recently I had top go to Maccas and buy the worst coffee I've ever attempted to drink just to have access to a toilet
 
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