'Today's generation worry about what cereal to buy at Aldi': 1980s FIFO worker pens a VERY blunt letter to young tradies - and gives his top survival tips while working away from home
- Veteran FIFO worker has spoken about differences in the industry from his day
- Michael Whitmore said he would get one flight home a year and use payphones
- He said the current generation of FIFO mining staff had too high expectations
A former nickel mine worker form the 1980s has blasted the current generation of Fly-In-Fly-Out workers, saying they have it far easier than just a few decades ago.
Michael Whitworth, in a letter published in The West Australian on Wednesday, said when he worked on remote mine sites in the state, they would travel home just four days a month.
His letter follows recent debate about so-called 'divorce rosters' in the industry, with the mining union claiming extended COVID-19 rosters for FIFO workers are causing relationship problems.
A former nickel mine worker form the 1980s has blasted the current generation of Fly-In-Fly-Out workers, saying they have it far easier than just a few decades ago (stock image)
Mr Whitworth said despite the exceptional circumstances, workers in his day still had it a lot tougher, though he also imparted some wisdom for those working in isolated locations.
'For someone of my age group who worked up North in the 1980s today's FIFO workers seem to have it very soft in comparison to the recent past,' Mr Whitworth wrote.
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He said that one company he worked for would pay for just one flight home a year leaving many to drive 1,500km each way to get their four days a month.
Phoning home was also very different, he explains, saying there were no mobile phones or internet, but instead three pay-phones that would be full of coins and unusable by Saturday.
'Four days at home per month and a weekly phone call and postal letters, that is more like a divorce roster,' he wrote.
Speaking to Perth Now, Mr Whitworth said he expected his partner to make the decisions while he was away working and, while he may not have agreed with everything, he would just 'suck it up' for the sake of the relationship.
'Today's generation, they text over what cereal to get at Aldi,' he said.
The Australian Manufacturing Worker's Union repeated calls for FIFO rosters to return to normal pre-coronavirus swings on The West Live on Thursday morning.
A number of Australia's major mining companies in March reportedly doubled, and in some cases tripled, the length of rosters, changing from two weeks on one week off to four weeks on and two weeks off, for example.
The mining union's calls follow the death of a worker at Saracen Mineral Holding's Dervish mine in WA on Monday after a 25 metre fall.
The Australian Manufacturing Worker's Union repeated calls for FIFO rosters to return to normal pre-coronavirus swings (file image)
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