Local council doing private/contracting work

[Danny Boy]

Sorry for the swears in the post last night I was a bottle of red down 🍷!

 

By 2020 all government funding for councils will end. The government has made it clear that councils have to become self sufficient I believe they are now allowed to collect business rates.

 

They are now being run as a business rather than a service.

So they will try and make money wherever they can which will in theory go back in to running the council and benefit the constituents.

I'm one of its constituents & I font see it benefitting me.

 

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[Danny Boy]

Does this mean in the long run there's a bit of a danger that businesses will start getting costs (like rates) pushed up & up, & an "alternative" service provided by the local council?

 

There a good portion of the population, particularly the elderly who will probably take that option thinking it's a safer option & they're less likely to get stung by cowboys.

 

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[Marc]

Does this mean in the long run there's a bit of a danger that businesses will start getting costs (like rates) pushed up & up, & an "alternative" service provided by the local council?

 

There a good portion of the population, particularly the elderly who will probably take that option thinking it's a safer option & they're less likely to get stung by cowboys.

 

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Unlikely, council pay scales are a joke - although there are other perks. There in they lack quality-safety and motivation to compete.

[Macaulay]

Unlikely, council pay scales are a joke - although there are other perks. There in they lack quality-safety and motivation to compete.

 

 

A Lead climber for the last council I worked for got 32k a year 25 days holiday plus bank holidays good pension up to 6 full sick pay.

 

One of the lead climbers didn't even climb. I kid not!

 

PERKS indeed [emoji23]

 

 

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[Danny Boy]

Doing relatively nothing is probably the biggest perk.

 

Anyone who's run their own business will tell you, that you look at things completely difft to when you just turn up to earn that days wages.

 

I started out in councils thru an agency years ago when I started tree work & it's basically a cushy number whichever way you look at it.

 

Cafe in the mornings, lunchtime, finish leisurely... All at the publics expense.

 

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Edited April 16, 2017 by David Humphries
Watch the language please or it will result in a ban

[Gary Prentice]

Doing relatively nothing is probably the biggest perk.

 

Anyone who's run their own business will tell you, that you look at things completely difft to when you just turn up to earn that days wages.

 

I started out in councils thru an agency years ago when I started tree work & it's basically a cushy number whichever way you look at it.

 

Cafe in the mornings, lunchtime, finish leisurely... All at the publics expense.

 

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Thought that was an average day in tree work, do you mean we've been doing it wrong?

Edited April 16, 2017 by David Humphries

[Danny Boy]

Thought that was an average day in tree work, do you mean we've been doing it wrong? [emoji3]

Those were the days... 😄

 

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[Macaulay]

Doing relatively nothing is probably the biggest perk.

 

Anyone who's run their own business will tell you, that you look at things completely difft to when you just turn up to earn that days wages.

 

I started out in councils thru an agency years ago when I started tree work & it's basically a cushy number whichever way you look at it.

 

Cafe in the mornings, lunchtime, finish leisurely... All at the publics expense.

 

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Don't forget the 2hour lunch breaks .

Edited April 16, 2017 by David Humphries

[kevinjohnsonmbe]

Does this mean in the long run there's a bit of a danger that businesses will start getting costs (like rates) pushed up & up, & an "alternative" service provided by the local council?

 

There a good portion of the population, particularly the elderly who will probably take that option thinking it's a safer option & they're less likely to get stung by cowboys.

 

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There's an interesting question in the margins there.....

 

Does a LA pay business rates? As it stands with councils doing council tasks perhaps it's appropriate that they wouldn't - although schools, car parks & public toilets do!

 

If LAs want to operate like private businesses then perhaps they should be taxed like private business (excluding farmers of course because they're "special")

 

I think there's some investigating to be done on that score.

[Marc]

A Lead climber for the last council I worked for got 32k a year 25 days holiday plus bank holidays good pension up to 6 full sick pay.

 

One of the lead climbers didn't even climb. I kid not!

 

PERKS indeed [emoji23]

 

 

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That's kind of my point, how can they compete against better paid more highly motivated lead climbers at companies who have better teams and kit.

 

I know our local city council has been trying to get a commercial team up together to compete against local firms but judging by the ads they are struggling.