Construction businesses across southwest Sydney are at a standstill this week and St George Painting is no exception.
Jim Barmakellis, an owner of St George Painting, says he’s making the most of the shutdown by using the time to teach his sons Vasilly and Gregory some tricks of the trade.
“I’m trying to be the head of the family, the rock of the family, and come up with answers and I can’t,” Jim tells A Current Affair.
“We’re not used to staying at home, we’re up in the morning going off to work, and the government is giving some assistance, but we don’t want handouts, we want to work.”
“Open up and let us pay our way. We need income we need the work. We love what we do.”
The industry in New South Wales alone is worth more than $60 billion and generates more than 350,000 jobs.
One in 10 adults in Fairfield, Canterbury-Bankstown and Liverpool work in construction.
Source: 9 Now, A Current Affair
