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

A fed-up concreter has agreed with a millionaire property developer’s controversial claim that young tradies are lazy, claiming they are ‘afraid of hard work’ and would rather land a job as a barista.

‘Rizzo’, who has worked as a professional for over thirty years, unleashed an extraordinary spray on Triple M’s Night Shift with Luke Bona on Friday morning, where he called on his younger colleagues to ‘grow some balls, toughen up and be a man’.

His tirade came in the wake of comments from businessman Tim Gurner, 41, who made waves on Tuesday when he singled out tradies for being work-shy.

“Trades have definitely set back productivity,” Gurner told the Australian Financial Review’s Property Summit.

“They have paid a lot in recent years not to do too much, and we need to see that change.”

But his claims have received unlikely support from ‘Rizzo’, who lamented the ‘piss-weak’ attitude of young tradies today.

‘I know a lot of young guys who say: ‘Oh yeah, I want to be a concreter.’ But within two weeks they say, “Yes, I can’t do that – it’s too hard,” he told Triple M.

‘I know carpenters, good friends of mine, who have had apprentices work for them, not a word of a lie, they say “oh yeah, I’m a chippy”, tell all their friends they’re a hardcore chippy and then in the second year of their internship they say, “Oh, I can’t handle this” because they don’t want to jump on ladders.’

Tim Gurner, the 41-year-old CEO of Gurner Group, said the Covid pandemic has changed the attitude of many to their jobs

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

When asked if young tradies 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 in IT or on a computer. See, that’s not how it works. Who will build your building where you will work?’

He added: “I want Australian traders to keep going because ultimately what’s going to happen is if they get people from 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.

‘Do you want to be a man and a trader? Don’t be half-hearted and say, “Oh yeah, I want to be a tradie, but after two years I’ll give up because I’m too weak.”

“Don’t start right away and give someone else the opportunity to do it and don’t waste time.”

Rizzo defended his comments when contacted by Daily Mail Australia, although he would not reveal his real identity.

“They’re just really lazy, mates, they’re halfway through their internship sometimes – not that I’m saying all of them – but 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 training and give it away because they can’t handle it.”

Rich lister Gurner was forced to issue a groveling apology two days after his comments sparked widespread backlash.

“My comments were deeply insensitive to workers, traditions and families across Australia who are being affected by these cost of living pressures and job losses,” he said.