Fed: Aussie shearers face bleak future, survey finds
By Jane Williams, Industrial Correspondent
MELBOURNE, April 22 AAP - Shearers who were once paid the equivalent of a pot of beerper fleece are now receiving wages far below the national average and facing deterioratingworking conditions.
A survey of shearing sheds across Australia shows that the average Aussie shearer (thevast majority are male) is disillusioned with his job and would quit if offered otherwork for similar pay.
Sheep are getting bigger, travel expenses are increasing and the average age of shearersis increasing as young people move to cities and towns to work.
The survey, released today by the Australian Workers Union (AWU), shows the romanticisedshed scene from the Tom Roberts painting Shearing The Rams is now far from the truth.
AWU national secretary Bill Shorten told a meeting of the Rural Press Club today thesurvey showed shearers felt they were missing out on money and esteem.
"Shearers perceived that they were not well respected in the community, but unlikethe 1890s, 81 per cent believed their employers treated them respectfully," Mr Shortensaid.
Despite the majority of shearers indicating they were paid over the award rate of $1.78per sheep, 87 per cent said they believed they would not be able to afford a comfortableretirement.
Many had trouble getting a loan or finance because of the irregularity of shearing work.
Most shearers earned less than $35,000 a year, while shed hands earned an average of$18,000 a year.
Travel was more expensive and shearers now found they worked an average of 24 propertiesfor 16 different employers every nine months.
"Long-time shearers reminded us the former benchmark was that once upon a time shearinga sheep could buy a pot of beer, this is now a memory at $1.78 a sheep and $2.50 a pot,"
Mr Shorten said.
Seventy per cent of shearers said they would not encourage friends, family or childrento become shearers, creating an ageing population of shearers and reflecting a wideninggulf between rural and city living standards.
Shearers blamed the lack of strong union presence in the shearing shed, while unionsblamed the patchy application of enterprise bargaining across rural Australia.
Mr Shorten said the AWU had begun a campaign to improve minimum standards through theAustralian Industrial Relations Commission (AIRC), calling for more money to compensatefor increased size of sheep, an improved travel allowance and a tool maintenance allowance.
The union would also be fighting to increase casual loading to 25 per cent and to ensureemployers contributed the compulsory eight per cent superannuation, he said.
AAP jmw/clr/wjf/bwl
KEYWORD: SHEARERS
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