Prominent Australian property developer and Gurner Group CEO, Tim Gurner, has ignited a firestorm of controversy with his recent comments on unemployment and the attitudes of workers during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Speaking at the Australian Financial Review’s Property Summit in Sydney, Gurner’s provocative statements quickly drew criticism and backlash from various quarters.
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Gurner argued that the pandemic had led to a decline in productivity, suggesting that “people decided they didn’t really want to work so much” during the global crisis.
Gurner Group founder Tim Gurner tells the Financial Review Property Summit workers have become "arrogant" since COVID and "We've got to kill that attitude." https://t.co/lcX3CCxGuj pic.twitter.com/f9HK2YZRRE
— Financial Review (@FinancialReview) September 12, 2023
In a particularly contentious statement, he called for unemployment in Australia to increase by 40 to 50 percent, asserting that it was necessary to combat what he perceived as a growing sense of arrogance among employees.
“We need to see pain in the economy. We need to remind people they work for the employer, not the other way around,” Gurner declared during the summit.
These remarks swiftly went viral on social media platforms, prompting condemnation from political figures and commentators alike.
Democratic Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez weighed in, highlighting the disparity in CEO-to-worker pay ratios and remarking, “This Gurner character personifies everything that is wrong with unfettered capitalism and the cult of the super-CEO: rampant greed and an arrogant contempt for working people.”
Reminder that major CEOs have skyrocketed their own pay so much that the ratio of CEO-to-worker pay is now at some of the highest levels *ever* recorded. https://t.co/MCvsICsZce
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) September 12, 2023
Australian media commentator Mike Carlton echoed this sentiment, stating, “What words could I possibly use to describe someone so incredibly stupid, callous, fragile, and worthless?” Business leaders on LinkedIn also expressed indignation, with Spence Rodgers, CEO of Ihm Luxury, accusing Gurner of promoting “the epitome of class warfare.”
This Gurner character personifies everything that is wrong with unfettered capitalism and the cult of the super-CEO: rampant greed and an arrogant contempt for working people. https://t.co/zJNQ0evAoP
— Mike Carlton (@MikeCarlton01) September 13, 2023
Furthermore, Gurner’s suggestion for a substantial increase in unemployment is at odds with Australia’s current economic landscape.
As of now, the country’s unemployment rate stands at a low 3.6 percent, affecting approximately 500,000 individuals. Gurner’s proposal would potentially result in the loss of jobs for an estimated 250,000 workers.
Notably, this is not the first time Gurner has stirred controversy with his public statements. In 2017, he made headlines when he advised millennials to refrain from purchasing “smashed avocados” if they hoped to afford their first homes.
Amid the mounting backlash, Gurner took to LinkedIn to issue an apology and express regret for his comments.
“At the AFR Property Summit this week, I made some remarks about unemployment and productivity in Australia that I deeply regret and were wrong,” Gurner wrote. “My comments were deeply insensitive to employees, tradies, and families across Australia who are affected by these cost-of-living pressures and job losses. I sincerely regret that my words did not convey empathy for those in that situation.”
He acknowledged their insensitivity and admitted fault in his choice of words.
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Tim Gurner, with an estimated personal net wealth of $912 million according to The Australian Financial Review, has found himself at the center of a contentious debate, highlighting the ongoing discussions surrounding income inequality, workers’ rights, and corporate responsibility in Australia’s economic landscape.
