‘Like jail’: Teen exposes brutal FIFO reality
A young fly-in-fly-out worker has vented about the conditions of FIFO work, saying the high salary doesn’t necessarily justify the lifestyle.
A young fly-in-fly-out worker has taken to social media to vent about the conditions of mining in Australia, saying the high salary doesn’t necessarily justify the lifestyle.
New Zealander Kieran Wealleans moved to Brisbane for a FIFO job as an apprentice diesel mechanic.
“I work 11 hours a day, Monday to Sunday. I have no friends or family around me. I go home just to do the same repetitive cycle,” Mr Wealleans raged in a Tik Tok video viewed by over 200,000 people.
“I can’t go for walks or anything cause the only thing is road that goes straight for three hours. I have f**k all service, but hey, at least the sunsets are cool.”
The teenager said his normal work day consists of 11 hours, but on most days he works 13 hours due to overtime.
“I’m not even an adult yet, and I bust my arse more than most people,” he said.
He added that he struggles to make friends as he stays in accommodation by himself in the “middle of nowhere”.
The average salary for FIFO diesel mechanics is $127,920 or $65.60 per hour.
The higher wages are meant to compensate workers for the demands and lifestyle adjustments associated with working in remote and challenging environments while they are away from their families for an extended time.
Many Aussies responded to Mr Wealleans, exposing some of the downsides of FIFO jobs. One claimed the lifestyle “feels like jail”.
One person empathised saying “I’m a FIFO worker myself and the only good thing is the money”.
Another wrote: “It’s really mentally straining position if you don’t have the right support from friends/fam back home too, sending love, ️it gets easier i promise.”
But another worker boasted that because he was able to earn in a single day what most Aussies earn in a week it made the sacrifice worth it.
Mr Dowsett then shared an upbeat Tik Tok video of his day as a FIFO worker in response.
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