Tim Gurner: Fed-up tradie launches into extraordinary spray about why he agrees with rich property boss

A tired concrete worker has accepted a millionaire property developer’s controversial claim that young traders are lazy, saying they are “afraid of hard work” and would prefer to land barista jobs.

“Rizzo”, who has worked as a trader for more than 30 years, launched an extraordinary spray on Friday morning on Triple M’s night shift with Luke Bona, where he called on his younger colleagues to “grow some balls, s ‘harden and be a man’. .

His speech follows comments from businessman Tim Gurner, 41, who sparked fury on Tuesday when he singled out tradespeople for being work shy.

“The trades have definitely gone backwards in terms of productivity,” Mr Gurner said at the Australian Financial Review’s Property Summit.

“They have been paid well for not doing too much in recent years, and we need to see that change.”

But his claims received unlikely support from “Rizzo” who lamented the “weak” attitudes of today’s young traders.

“I know a lot of young people who say “oh yeah, I want to be concrete”. But after two weeks they’re like ‘yeah, I can’t handle this, it’s too hard,'” he told Triple M.

“I know some carpenters, good friends of mine, who have had apprentices working for them, no lie, they say ‘oh yeah, I’m a chippy’, tell all their friends they’re a hardcore chippy and then the second year of their apprenticeship, they say, “Oh, I can’t handle that” because they don’t want to jump on the ladders.

Gurner Group CEO Tim Gurner, 41, said the Covid pandemic had changed the attitude of many towards their work.

Tim Gurner is pictured with his wife Aimee, co-founder and director of The Beauty Chef, an organic skin health and beauty brand.

Asked if young marketers are lazy, Rizzo replied: “100 percent. Because they are afraid of reality.

“They are afraid of hard work. They say, “Oh, I can get a job as a computer scientist or on computers.” Look, it doesn’t work like that. Who will build the building where you will work?

He added: “I want Australian traders to continue because ultimately what’s going to happen is when they recruit people overseas to do it.

“I don’t want that because they won’t be as good as the Australian product.”

Host Luke Bona asked Rizzo what his solution was.

“Grow some balls, toughen up and be a man,” he replied.

“You want to be a man and a merchant? Don’t be an idiot and say “oh yeah, I want to become a trader but after two years I’ll give up because I’m too weak.”

“Well, don’t do it first and give someone else the chance to do it and don’t waste time.”

Rizzo defended his comments when contacted by Daily Mail Australia, but did not reveal his true identity.

“They’re just very lazy, mate, they sometimes get halfway through their learning – I’m not saying they all are – but then some of them just want to give it away,” he said .

“They think they’re really good and really tough, but then they get halfway through their workout and drop it because they can’t handle it.”

Wealthy Lister Gurner was forced into a groveling apology two days after his comments sparked a widespread backlash.

“My comments were deeply insensitive to employees, trades and families across Australia who are affected by these cost of living and job loss pressures,” he said.