Steve Harrington
19, from England
What made you decide to come and work in Oz?
It was a drunken idea. Me and my mate had nothing to do for the next year, so thought why not come here. I found the job online.
What exactly do you do?
I sort out cow carcasses and load them onto rails for the boners to cut. I move over 1,700 cattle per shift.
We bet the abattoir took some getting used to?
Yes, it took me ages to remember all the different cow numbers, what they’ve been fed, their weight, etc. The first day I had help, but on the second day I was on my own (and made a lot of mistakes).
How’s the pay?
Pretty decent – $16 to 19/hour.
What are the good points about your new job?
It’s pretty easy, once you get the hang of it. Most of the staff are real nice as well.
Any bad points?
It’s very cold, plus you can start really early, or finish really late at night.