Meet the Hunter brickie taking the tools to the UK to show them how it's done
It is the work of generations, for generations - the legacy of fathers and grandfathers, carried by sons determined that their labours, too, should stand the ages.
The English have turned that life's work into a sport - a competition where the best of the trade have one hour to raise a wall to building standard against the fastest brickies on the line to settle that continual job-site rivalry.
The Super Trowel final is on August 13 and 14, and this year it will be contested by a wiry Hunter tradie with a mop of surfer's hair beneath his broad hat.
Alec Ramon is a third-generation bricklayer. His grandfather, Willem Ramon, grew up in humble quarters in Sydney after emigrating from Holland. He took up the trade with his brothers to keep a roof over their heads. In time, his son followed in the tradition.
It was only natural, then, that the third generation would follow too.
Mr Ramon would tell you that his grandfather was the real craftsman. Notoriously fast, he would say, and impeccably neat. His father had the same reputation.
"When I did my apprenticeship, I had a lot to live up to," Mr Ramon said. "As far as I'm concerned, Pop was the man. My old man would tell you the same. The best bricklayer in the world."
In Mr Ramon's line of work, it would never be enough just to be fast. He finds quiet pride in a job done well.
"You've probably walked past some little, old, forgotten front fence on the side of the road that's all overgrown," Mr Ramon said. "The bricklayer who built it is long gone - he's forgotten - but his work is still there. Once upon a time, that brick wall was the newest thing on the street."
Mr Ramon's grandfather was ready to jump on the plane with him when he learnt his grandson was taking the family business to the world. The work is what mattered, sure, but seeing the family name go with him was a proud moment.
Willem did not live to see Mr Ramon off to the United Kingdom. He died about two months ago.
"He was very excited about this," Mr Ramon said. "He started it all. But that's - you know - he's still there."
Mr Ramon will travel with his trusted labourer, Mathew Cookson, who will have his back on the line keeping the bricklayer under way.
"A bricklayer is only as good as his labourer," Mr Ramon said. "You both have to find each other's rhythm and how you work. He keeps me going - he knows what I want and when I need it. There's a lot of communication without saying anything at all."
Mr Ramon has garnered a social media following with his work, which in part helped him secure a spot on the international stage. Competitive bricklaying has picked up traction in the UK, and the Hunter contender has been bantering back and forth as the contest comes close.
"I'm not afraid to say that I'm going to beat them," Mr Ramon said, with a hint of mischief. "We're better than them at cricket, so why can't we be better at bricklaying as well?"
Mr Ramon wants you to understand the love he has for his work, to see what he sees in a line of neatly-laid bricks: effort that stands the test of time.
"I love the old English castles," he said. "Because they were built the same way as I'm doing things now. It's all built the same way. Everything that I build is going to stay there."
Mr Ramon and Mr Cookson are bound for the UK on August 8.
Bricklaying is an infamously competitive trade. In an industry where the wages are made by the brick, there was always going to be a sense of rivalry over who was the fastest on the line, whose work was clean and whose would stand the test of time.
It is the work of generations, for generations - the legacy of fathers and grandfathers, carried by sons determined that their labours, too, should stand the ages.
The English have turned that life's work into a sport - a competition where the best of the trade have one hour to raise a wall to building standard against the fastest brickies on the line to settle that continual job-site rivalry.
The Super Trowel final is on August 13 and 14, and this year it will be contested by a wiry Hunter tradie with a mop of surfer's hair beneath his broad hat.
Alec Ramon is a third-generation bricklayer. His grandfather, Willem Ramon, grew up in humble quarters in Sydney after emigrating from Holland. He took up the trade with his brothers to keep a roof over their heads. In time, his son followed in the tradition.
It was only natural, then, that the third generation would follow too.
Mr Ramon would tell you that his grandfather was the real craftsman. Notoriously fast, he would say, and impeccably neat. His father had the same reputation.
"When I did my apprenticeship, I had a lot to live up to," Mr Ramon said. "As far as I'm concerned, Pop was the man. My old man would tell you the same. The best bricklayer in the world."
In Mr Ramon's line of work, it would never be enough just to be fast. He finds quiet pride in a job done well.
"You've probably walked past some little, old, forgotten front fence on the side of the road that's all overgrown," Mr Ramon said. "The bricklayer who built it is long gone - he's forgotten - but his work is still there. Once upon a time, that brick wall was the newest thing on the street."
Mr Ramon's grandfather was ready to jump on the plane with him when he learnt his grandson was taking the family business to the world. The work is what mattered, sure, but seeing the family name go with him was a proud moment.
Willem did not live to see Mr Ramon off to the United Kingdom. He died about two months ago.
"He was very excited about this," Mr Ramon said. "He started it all. But that's - you know - he's still there."
Mr Ramon will travel with his trusted labourer, Mathew Cookson, who will have his back on the line keeping the bricklayer under way.
"A bricklayer is only as good as his labourer," Mr Ramon said. "You both have to find each other's rhythm and how you work. He keeps me going - he knows what I want and when I need it. There's a lot of communication without saying anything at all."
Mr Ramon has garnered a social media following with his work, which in part helped him secure a spot on the international stage. Competitive bricklaying has picked up traction in the UK, and the Hunter contender has been bantering back and forth as the contest comes close.
"I'm not afraid to say that I'm going to beat them," Mr Ramon said, with a hint of mischief. "We're better than them at cricket, so why can't we be better at bricklaying as well?"
Mr Ramon wants you to understand the love he has for his work, to see what he sees in a line of neatly-laid bricks: effort that stands the test of time.
"I love the old English castles," he said. "Because they were built the same way as I'm doing things now. It's all built the same way. Everything that I build is going to stay there."
Mr Ramon and Mr Cookson are bound for the UK on August 8.
Bricklaying is an infamously competitive trade. In an industry where the wages are made by the brick, there was always going to be a sense of rivalry over who was the fastest on the line, whose work was clean and whose would stand the test of time.
It is the work of generations, for generations - the legacy of fathers and grandfathers, carried by sons determined that their labours, too, should stand the ages.
The English have turned that life's work into a sport - a competition where the best of the trade have one hour to raise a wall to building standard against the fastest brickies on the line to settle that continual job-site rivalry.
The Super Trowel final is on August 13 and 14, and this year it will be contested by a wiry Hunter tradie with a mop of surfer's hair beneath his broad hat.
Alec Ramon is a third-generation bricklayer. His grandfather, Willem Ramon, grew up in humble quarters in Sydney after emigrating from Holland. He took up the trade with his brothers to keep a roof over their heads. In time, his son followed in the tradition.
It was only natural, then, that the third generation would follow too.
Mr Ramon would tell you that his grandfather was the real craftsman. Notoriously fast, he would say, and impeccably neat. His father had the same reputation.
"When I did my apprenticeship, I had a lot to live up to," Mr Ramon said. "As far as I'm concerned, Pop was the man. My old man would tell you the same. The best bricklayer in the world."
In Mr Ramon's line of work, it would never be enough just to be fast. He finds quiet pride in a job done well.
"You've probably walked past some little, old, forgotten front fence on the side of the road that's all overgrown," Mr Ramon said. "The bricklayer who built it is long gone - he's forgotten - but his work is still there. Once upon a time, that brick wall was the newest thing on the street."
Mr Ramon's grandfather was ready to jump on the plane with him when he learnt his grandson was taking the family business to the world. The work is what mattered, sure, but seeing the family name go with him was a proud moment.
Willem did not live to see Mr Ramon off to the United Kingdom. He died about two months ago.
"He was very excited about this," Mr Ramon said. "He started it all. But that's - you know - he's still there."
Mr Ramon will travel with his trusted labourer, Mathew Cookson, who will have his back on the line keeping the bricklayer under way.
"A bricklayer is only as good as his labourer," Mr Ramon said. "You both have to find each other's rhythm and how you work. He keeps me going - he knows what I want and when I need it. There's a lot of communication without saying anything at all."
Mr Ramon has garnered a social media following with his work, which in part helped him secure a spot on the international stage. Competitive bricklaying has picked up traction in the UK, and the Hunter contender has been bantering back and forth as the contest comes close.
"I'm not afraid to say that I'm going to beat them," Mr Ramon said, with a hint of mischief. "We're better than them at cricket, so why can't we be better at bricklaying as well?"
Mr Ramon wants you to understand the love he has for his work, to see what he sees in a line of neatly-laid bricks: effort that stands the test of time.
"I love the old English castles," he said. "Because they were built the same way as I'm doing things now. It's all built the same way. Everything that I build is going to stay there."
Mr Ramon and Mr Cookson are bound for the UK on August 8.
Bricklaying is an infamously competitive trade. In an industry where the wages are made by the brick, there was always going to be a sense of rivalry over who was the fastest on the line, whose work was clean and whose would stand the test of time.
It is the work of generations, for generations - the legacy of fathers and grandfathers, carried by sons determined that their labours, too, should stand the ages.
The English have turned that life's work into a sport - a competition where the best of the trade have one hour to raise a wall to building standard against the fastest brickies on the line to settle that continual job-site rivalry.
The Super Trowel final is on August 13 and 14, and this year it will be contested by a wiry Hunter tradie with a mop of surfer's hair beneath his broad hat.
Alec Ramon is a third-generation bricklayer. His grandfather, Willem Ramon, grew up in humble quarters in Sydney after emigrating from Holland. He took up the trade with his brothers to keep a roof over their heads. In time, his son followed in the tradition.
It was only natural, then, that the third generation would follow too.
Mr Ramon would tell you that his grandfather was the real craftsman. Notoriously fast, he would say, and impeccably neat. His father had the same reputation.
"When I did my apprenticeship, I had a lot to live up to," Mr Ramon said. "As far as I'm concerned, Pop was the man. My old man would tell you the same. The best bricklayer in the world."
In Mr Ramon's line of work, it would never be enough just to be fast. He finds quiet pride in a job done well.
"You've probably walked past some little, old, forgotten front fence on the side of the road that's all overgrown," Mr Ramon said. "The bricklayer who built it is long gone - he's forgotten - but his work is still there. Once upon a time, that brick wall was the newest thing on the street."
Mr Ramon's grandfather was ready to jump on the plane with him when he learnt his grandson was taking the family business to the world. The work is what mattered, sure, but seeing the family name go with him was a proud moment.
Willem did not live to see Mr Ramon off to the United Kingdom. He died about two months ago.
"He was very excited about this," Mr Ramon said. "He started it all. But that's - you know - he's still there."
Mr Ramon will travel with his trusted labourer, Mathew Cookson, who will have his back on the line keeping the bricklayer under way.
"A bricklayer is only as good as his labourer," Mr Ramon said. "You both have to find each other's rhythm and how you work. He keeps me going - he knows what I want and when I need it. There's a lot of communication without saying anything at all."
Mr Ramon has garnered a social media following with his work, which in part helped him secure a spot on the international stage. Competitive bricklaying has picked up traction in the UK, and the Hunter contender has been bantering back and forth as the contest comes close.
"I'm not afraid to say that I'm going to beat them," Mr Ramon said, with a hint of mischief. "We're better than them at cricket, so why can't we be better at bricklaying as well?"
Mr Ramon wants you to understand the love he has for his work, to see what he sees in a line of neatly-laid bricks: effort that stands the test of time.
"I love the old English castles," he said. "Because they were built the same way as I'm doing things now. It's all built the same way. Everything that I build is going to stay there."
Mr Ramon and Mr Cookson are bound for the UK on August 8.
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Sydney Morning Herald
2 days ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
To stop retirees going mad, super funds must agree on these three things
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The Age
2 days ago
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To stop retirees going mad, super funds must agree on these three things
Just to be clear: your account-based pension is not the same as the age pension, which is not the same as the transition-to-retirement income stream, or your retirement income stream, and none of those are what's actually written on the form you're now trying to fill out while muttering 'just give me my bloody money'. Loading When you dig a little deeper, there are actually two problems – and they've both been highlighted in a new report shared with me by the Conexus Institute called Account-based pensions: Limited drawdown options, but no limits on terminology. Yes, it's written for the retirement industry. But I thought you'd appreciate the laugh – because let's be honest, you're the one who ends up copping the confusion. And I know from your cries for help that this stuff is real. They pulled out the retirement income application forms for 20 of the biggest funds and analysed them. The first problem? There's no common language. The second? Even when you figure out what they're trying to say, the form still doesn't let you do what the advice tool said you could. And the third? Super funds tell you that you can take out more than the minimum, then their forms make it hard and confusing and look like the minimum amount is the sensible option. From calculation to confusion For most people, the road to retirement income really shouldn't be this hard. Maybe you've just sat down with someone from your fund, or used one of their free online tools. Either way, it all starts off looking pretty straightforward. They show you a gorgeous little graph, some shaded layers of income stacking up to give you a 'comfortable' retirement. The age pension is estimated for you down the bottom, your super income sits neatly on top, and if you're lucky, there's a cherry layer called 'other income streams'. It's basically a money layer cake. This is where the fund helpfully suggests you draw a bit from your account-based pension (ABP) each year to top up the age pension. You nod. Seems reasonable. Looks easy. You can see the amount increasing over time. You can do this retirement thing! A few days later, you click 'Get Started' on the email that came from the advice session or the calculator. And that's when it all goes sideways. You're in a form that suddenly speaks a different language. Not the one used in the dashboard. Not the one used in the advice session. Definitely not plain English. Most funds give you just two options: take the minimum amount the government says you must draw, or pick a fixed dollar amount to withdraw regularly. That's it. No third option that says 'just do what the advice tool said'; no helpful button that says 'top me up to hit my retirement income goal'. There's no explanation of how to calculate it. No reminder of the 6 per cent the adviser told you would work well for you and still see you with enough to fund your aged care later in life. No mention of how this ties back to your age pension. Just two boxes – and good luck, because that's your retirement income now. Want to change it next year when your age pension shifts? Does that happen automatically? Do you need to update it manually? Should you call someone? Is this the bit where you book a second advice appointment? It's all suddenly looking a bit hard. Hard enough to delay the whole thing. Conexus says that only nine funds even let you increase the amount you draw each year in line with inflation – because apparently keeping up with the cost of living is optional now and completely in your hands to decide on. And just three funds offer an automatic drawdown option that adjusts over time. So the 'plan' you saw? You have to implement it yourself, one guess at a time. You'd think that, by now, someone would've made this easy. A big 'set-and-forget' button. Or at least a 'we'll do the maths for you' tool. But not yet – even with 4.2 million people in retirement and 5 million more on the way – this hasn't been a priority. Loading And if you're approaching retirement for the first time, you have to work this out while trying to remember whether your account is called an income stream, a pension account or a retirement smoothie. It's not you. It's the system. The more you look into it, the more you realise: it's not your fault that you're confused. The whole thing's been set up like a badly translated board game. Even the experts who study this stuff are saying: the options are limited, the naming is inconsistent, and it's too hard for regular people to turn their savings into income. So if you've opened a form, stared at the page, and thought 'what am I reading?' ... you're not alone. In fact, you're the norm. What we need is a superannuation dictionary for retirement. All the funds, all the government departments and all the advisers need to be locked in a room until they agree on three things: what to call retirement accounts, what the options to draw down actually mean, and how to make the form match the language used when you talk to someone about their plan. Because right now, retirement income is being delivered like IKEA furniture – only the instructions are in five languages, none of them yours, and one of the legs is mislabelled. Real people shouldn't have to decode jargon just to get their own money out.
The Advertiser
3 days ago
- The Advertiser
Tools down for manufacturing workers
Manufacturers have walked off the job to call for better pay at Komatsu Rutherford, but workers say the company won't budge. Over the past three weeks, about 90 workers at the Hunter-based site have participated in industrial action after failed bargaining meetings. Komatsu, a construction and mining equipment business, proposed a lower pay increase than sites that do similar work, union members said. Australian Manufacturing Workers Union (AMWU) organiser Nathan Clements said members had been negotiating with the company since February without a resolution. "Workers are walking off the job, removing their labour to show dissatisfaction at the company's offer," Mr Clements said. He said workers had put down their tools four times in the past three weeks for anywhere between one to four hours. Yesterday was the latest work stoppage action. 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Australian Manufacturing Workers Union (AMWU) organiser Nathan Clements said members had been negotiating with the company since February without a resolution. "Workers are walking off the job, removing their labour to show dissatisfaction at the company's offer," Mr Clements said. He said workers had put down their tools four times in the past three weeks for anywhere between one to four hours. Yesterday was the latest work stoppage action. Similar to Komatasu's Moss Vale, NSW, and Rockhampton, Queensland sites, workers at Rutherford mostly remanufacture underground mining equipment, Mr Clements said. "The company is offering them a lower increase compared to those other two sites to effectively do the same work," he said. Moss Vale and Rockhampton were offered 15 to 16 per cent pay increases over a three-year term agreement. Rutherford was initially offered 13 per cent, which dropped to 11 per cent in the face of industrial action, Mr Clements said. "We didn't think that this was too controversial of a position," he said. "We are happy to work with the company in recognition of some of their concerns but there hasn't been an appetite from the company for that." Mr Clements said the company had expressed concerns about market insecurities when considering pay rises. "We have tried to meet a middle ground where we operate on a shorter-term agreement, but that was rejected," Mr Clements said. Komatsu Rutherford union delegate Kim Boman said they chose to strike yesterday as they were told high-level executives were coming by. "We are all working under the same banner, we all want a bit of parity and equality across the sites," Mr Boman said. "I think it's a little bit discriminatory. I don't think it's showing the respect we deserve." He said they also wanted to bring all three sites onto the same agreement and see improvements in overtime pay. Komatsu Hunter Valley declined to comment when contacted by the Newcastle Herald yesterday. Manufacturers have walked off the job to call for better pay at Komatsu Rutherford, but workers say the company won't budge. Over the past three weeks, about 90 workers at the Hunter-based site have participated in industrial action after failed bargaining meetings. Komatsu, a construction and mining equipment business, proposed a lower pay increase than sites that do similar work, union members said. Australian Manufacturing Workers Union (AMWU) organiser Nathan Clements said members had been negotiating with the company since February without a resolution. "Workers are walking off the job, removing their labour to show dissatisfaction at the company's offer," Mr Clements said. He said workers had put down their tools four times in the past three weeks for anywhere between one to four hours. Yesterday was the latest work stoppage action. Similar to Komatasu's Moss Vale, NSW, and Rockhampton, Queensland sites, workers at Rutherford mostly remanufacture underground mining equipment, Mr Clements said. "The company is offering them a lower increase compared to those other two sites to effectively do the same work," he said. Moss Vale and Rockhampton were offered 15 to 16 per cent pay increases over a three-year term agreement. Rutherford was initially offered 13 per cent, which dropped to 11 per cent in the face of industrial action, Mr Clements said. "We didn't think that this was too controversial of a position," he said. "We are happy to work with the company in recognition of some of their concerns but there hasn't been an appetite from the company for that." Mr Clements said the company had expressed concerns about market insecurities when considering pay rises. "We have tried to meet a middle ground where we operate on a shorter-term agreement, but that was rejected," Mr Clements said. Komatsu Rutherford union delegate Kim Boman said they chose to strike yesterday as they were told high-level executives were coming by. "We are all working under the same banner, we all want a bit of parity and equality across the sites," Mr Boman said. "I think it's a little bit discriminatory. I don't think it's showing the respect we deserve." He said they also wanted to bring all three sites onto the same agreement and see improvements in overtime pay. Komatsu Hunter Valley declined to comment when contacted by the Newcastle Herald yesterday. Manufacturers have walked off the job to call for better pay at Komatsu Rutherford, but workers say the company won't budge. Over the past three weeks, about 90 workers at the Hunter-based site have participated in industrial action after failed bargaining meetings. Komatsu, a construction and mining equipment business, proposed a lower pay increase than sites that do similar work, union members said. Australian Manufacturing Workers Union (AMWU) organiser Nathan Clements said members had been negotiating with the company since February without a resolution. "Workers are walking off the job, removing their labour to show dissatisfaction at the company's offer," Mr Clements said. He said workers had put down their tools four times in the past three weeks for anywhere between one to four hours. Yesterday was the latest work stoppage action. Similar to Komatasu's Moss Vale, NSW, and Rockhampton, Queensland sites, workers at Rutherford mostly remanufacture underground mining equipment, Mr Clements said. "The company is offering them a lower increase compared to those other two sites to effectively do the same work," he said. Moss Vale and Rockhampton were offered 15 to 16 per cent pay increases over a three-year term agreement. Rutherford was initially offered 13 per cent, which dropped to 11 per cent in the face of industrial action, Mr Clements said. "We didn't think that this was too controversial of a position," he said. "We are happy to work with the company in recognition of some of their concerns but there hasn't been an appetite from the company for that." Mr Clements said the company had expressed concerns about market insecurities when considering pay rises. "We have tried to meet a middle ground where we operate on a shorter-term agreement, but that was rejected," Mr Clements said. Komatsu Rutherford union delegate Kim Boman said they chose to strike yesterday as they were told high-level executives were coming by. "We are all working under the same banner, we all want a bit of parity and equality across the sites," Mr Boman said. "I think it's a little bit discriminatory. I don't think it's showing the respect we deserve." He said they also wanted to bring all three sites onto the same agreement and see improvements in overtime pay. Komatsu Hunter Valley declined to comment when contacted by the Newcastle Herald yesterday.
