Am I being screwed over here?

[kcpwns]

Ok pretty much I am sick of the way I am being treated and this has topped it off.
I currently work as a 1st year plumbing apprentice, installing ducted heated and cooling mainly. So far I am about 2 months off being a second year and I haven't been taught a thing about plumbing, I am pretty much treated as a laborer, but cheaper. I work with my boss, who is qualified, and 2 other apprentices, ones a second and ones a third. Since I am at the bottom of the food chain I do everything. All the shit, none plumbing work is mine. I can handle that, work is work and I go to work hard and try to learn, that's life. I am pissed off because my boss pays me shit all and doesn't teach me a thing. I often have the second year telling me what to do and such...which annoys me because he is like a caveman. So that is issue number one at work, not being taught.
Issue number two is pay. I get payed 320 a week take home, so maybe 340-360 before tax? I'm unsure. My payslip says this is for 38 hours. Now i work without fail a minimum 40+ hours a week. All the other apprentices I go to school with get either, 38 hours payed work and a Rostered day off every 2 weeks or 4 weeks or overtime pay. I get neither. So I'm pretty sure I'm getting screwed here. And I only got 2 weeks holiday so another thing I think I'm being stooged out of.
Finally the issue that has pissed me off so much. I am a 20 year old bloke, still a bit of a kid, but I act appropriate to each situation, like when or when not to joke around and be a smart arse. Now 3 weeks ago the Friday before I went to TAFE something happened. We had to travel about an hour to go finish a job, this was at 2.30 in the arvo and by we I mean me and the other two apprentices. Before we left for this job me and the boss left the apprentices at the first job of the day so we could run and finish another job and he then dropped me off at a servo and they picked me up on the way. Before I left the first job I threw the ladder on the van assuming the other boys would strap it when the packed up and checked things, as you do. On the way to the hour away job the extension ladder fell off. Which I never put on anyway, and the second year got out and put it back on, this was on the highway, and you would assume he would check the step ladder? Anyway we get to the job that's an hour away and guess what? The step ladder is gone. Guess who's fault it is? Mine. Now the boss has been hassling me for the last couple weeks about buying a new one. I told him the story and he reckons I have to buy another one. Now today he cracked it and yelled at me and told me buy a new one, I said it's not my fault I am not replacing it. He then told me I have next week off forced holidays, which he is taking out of my annual and said I'm getting a written warning and he is going to try and fire me. Joys of being a shit kicker I guess.
If you have made it this far thank you for reading and sorry for all the mistakes. This is more me venting then anything but I would love to hear your opinions or what you would do in my situation or if you think I am in the wrong,
Cheers kc.

[GEN3RATD]

id bail.

i know apprentices get shit pay but fk that, im younger then you and making more then that, plus putting up with a lot less shit.

[kcpwns]

id bail.

i know apprentices get shit pay but fk that, im younger then you and making 3 times that, plus putting up with a lot less shit.

As soon as he dropped me off home I went to the plumbing supplies store put my name down and got some plumbers numbers. Hopefully I can just get a new job

[footy]

if u can tough it out for a few more years it will be fine. all 1st year apprentices get treated like shit, way of life.

[kcpwns]

yeah that's what I assumed. I could handle it, if I was actually learning something. He may as well pay me like a laborer.

[nemesis_adrasteia]

pretty much what everyone cops as a first year. except for the ladder situation.

first year pay sucks, second year pay sucks too. third year is when you start making OKish money.

if you unhappy with your bosses attitude id suggest a new job cos hes not going to change.

[kcpwns]

yeah didn't expect it to...new job it is then

[FstStig]

Some Apprentices are just there as a slave. Even in you're first year you Should be learning something while you are still doing the shit jobs. I would get the hell out of there if you're nearly a second year and still being treated like this.

[Dum*P*ster]

Are you employed though an Apprenticeship Agency or something of the sort? If so, you can call them and tell them the situation.

If not- I personally would say you are being screwed.. At my work, there is a 1st YR Apprentice who is actually being taught a lot of things by our Boss, He is 9months into it..
I would recommend you find 1st YR Apprentice plumbing elsewhere budo
OR You could talk to you're boss about it... But, don't expect anything from that..


**EDIT - Also you will need to be able to pass some things to be Signed off as a Tradie.. (Here in QLD anyway..) So, you need to be somewhere where you learn everything about the Trade

[kcpwns]

I think if i talked to my boss ill get headbutted lol...he is an angry bloke, only young too but angry.
My apprenticeship is through MEGT...I mite give them a call and see what they reckon

[jesse_lankey]

just get your first year under your belt, keep up to date with your schooling and look for another job cause thats just shithouse, I'm a first year sparky on the same wages, its not the best money but its what you get at the end thats worth it......also raid his copper stash for the ladder fund

[Pickle']

Mate, i just finished my trade as a Printer. As above, the first year you get tought nothing (i felt the same through my apprenticeship), the pay sucks but you chose that when you chose an apprenticeship! i know others will tell me how great they were paid as apprentices, but most aren't and to tell you the truth unless you can prove your worth alot more they wont care!

You are getting ripped with the O.T and holidays i believe but thats something you need to sort out with him, Look into your papers and read up whats stated, Its worth alot!

Just all i can say to tell you the truth is, If your only in your first year and your sick of the shit pay and being treated like your scum, Leave now! its not going to change anytime soon. I do not mean to scare you off saying that but its how it is.

Edit: just to say My first year was a load of shit second year got a little better third year started Running my machine with supervision and by the start of forth didnt need any. Im now 6 months out of my apprenticeship running the largest press in Australia, With the tradesman that 'tought' me in my first year working as my offsider.

[nemesis_adrasteia]

Are you employed though an Apprenticeship Agency or something of the sort? If so, you can call them and tell them the situation.

If not- I personally would say you are being screwed.. At my work, there is a 1st YR Apprentice who is actually being taught a lot of things by our Boss, He is 9months into it..
I would recommend you find 1st YR Apprentice plumbing elsewhere budo
OR You could talk to you're boss about it... But, don't expect anything from that..


**EDIT - Also you will need to be able to pass some things to be Signed off as a Tradie.. (Here in QLD anyway..) So, you need to be somewhere where you learn everything about the Trade

apprentice ship agency's dont care about apprentices, they care about money.

[jacko2]

Mate just find another plumber who will take you on where you have left off. i wouldn't be putting up with being treated like shit. respect goes a long way and there are alot of good qualified tradies out there who give hard workers a fair go. he has three apprentices he clearly is only looking for cheap labour. i have always worked with at least one other qualified person in a team of three. he is using you mate, BAIL

[kcpwns]

yeah half the time he isn't even there...so its three or two apprentices working by themselves...Im sure that isn't allowed

[Drawnnite]

im very sure apprentices arent allowed to be working alone without a qualified person in site. and there needs to be an app to qual ratio.
if you can and i highly suggest it go for commercial industrial in any trade apprenticeship. not just because the pay is easily 2 times better (i should know) but you get to learn on a large scale. and mosto f the time its like 5 qual guys to 1 app. so its a very good ratio.

if he is screwing you over its probably best to leave, however do not just get up and leave. find another company, and then go.
maybe try someone like an aircon company (AE Smith for example) not only will you get plumbers licence you can gain alot of electrical expereicne, dual trade if you like.
go into a plumbing shop ask the name of some of the bigger commercial companies.

i just hope it goes well for you.

[kcpwns]

im very sure apprentices arent allowed to be working alone without a qualified person in site. and there needs to be an app to qual ratio.
if you can and i highly suggest it go for commercial industrial in any trade apprenticeship. not just because the pay is easily 2 times better (i should know) but you get to learn on a large scale. and mosto f the time its like 5 qual guys to 1 app. so its a very good ratio.

if he is screwing you over its probably best to leave, however do not just get up and leave. find another company, and then go.
maybe try someone like an aircon company (AE Smith for example) not only will you get plumbers licence you can gain alot of electrical expereicne, dual trade if you like.
go into a plumbing shop ask the name of some of the bigger commercial companies.

i just hope it goes well for you.

Cheers man...I got contact details for the bigger plumbing companies around town and gonna try them out. Not gonna work for a contractor again if I can. I took the apprenticeship to learn, I wanna be able to run my own business one day and there is no point if I dont know how to plumb lol

[Trayner]

yeh dude i'd say leave , Im on an apprenticeship as a plasterer atm (2nd year, almost 3rd), and its me the boss and a 4th year and we all treat each other as mates and have a blast working and that. And from the get go I was learning to do shit (unlike when i was a mechanic :S)

[89vn_Jai]

He can't legally make you pay for the ladder. Or take the cost out of your wage

[Pickle']

im very sure apprentices arent allowed to be working alone without a qualified person in site. and there needs to be an app to qual ratio.

there is no app to qualified ratio, its perfectly fine i had 4 apprentices to 1 qualified screen printer in the other section at work, it is perfectly legal.

Oh and also, No head cannot make you pay for the ladder whether on not your at fault does not matter.

[Pub247]

You need to contact your apprentice field officer he is the sort of person that handles disputes with employers and apprentices.

I suggest you look for another job but in the meantime.

Take a look at the fairwork act or give the ombudsman a call. I was in a similar situation where my old boss told me to take a week off then took it out of my annual leave which by law he wasnt allowed to. You will also find information relevant to your pay and conditions regarding OT and annual leave.

I changed job 3 years into my apprenticeship i found even though i learnt alot not everything was relevant to my trade my welding experience was limited to alloy tig and it was not what you call average tig welding as was doing cylinder heads. More specialised but really only useful for doing that.
So i changed to a job where basically all i did was steel but covered both mig and tig and from sheey to structual. I did this mainly to broaden my skill base so to better my career.

Like you said and i did you got tp think about yourself and your future.

[one_and_only2004]

What's the deal with only 2 weeks holidays in a year? The award is 4 weeks. If I did 40 hours and only got paid for 38 I'd be finishing at 2 on Fridays from now on, you're not a slave.

[Drawnnite]

there is no app to qualified ratio, its perfectly fine i had 4 apprentices to 1 qualified screen printer in the other section at work, it is perfectly legal.

Oh and also, No head cannot make you pay for the ladder whether on not your at fault does not matter.

might have been a company rule i was thinking of, especially because of the high dangers of being a sparky.

and kc, if you do get into the commercial industry (the big boys that is) youll never want to leave.
but again goodluck and hopefully you do get one of the bigger local companies

[jesse_lankey]

if i were you I would be looking for someone who just needs one apprentice not 3 then you've got a better opportunity to learn, you won't be competing with 2 others. the commercial industry is where the money is but I think you will have a wider variety of work in domestic

[kcpwns]

wow thanks for all the comments guys. I didn't think he could make me buy a ladder, I assumed he was trying to scare/bully me into it which I didn't fall for. Like I said I am not afraid of hard work, if anything I love working hard, nothing like coming home after a long day feeling like you achieved and learned something new, ya know? But these standards, they make me wanna noose myself every night, if only I knew how to tie a noose
I have looked into bigger employers around town. Got contact info etc, straight after I got home this arvo. So I do have a lot of work ahead of me for this "holiday" next week. Hopefully I can get a new job in a wider field of plumber, which is where I wanted to be anyway.
Another question though. If I am going around talking to big plumbing bosses how should I tell them I want to find a new job without saying I hate my boss and work etc. Because being only a first year I have a feeling if I approach a conversation like this they are going to think I can't hack the work and wont give me the time of day.