Wage! How much should the going rate be?

[eggsarascal]

30 minutes ago, woody paul said:

This will rattle a few talked to 2 retied workers (1 BT the other Posty ) doing gardening charging £15@Hour and rushed off there feet working 8-10 hours a day.   

I'd bet that is all paid in Pound notes.

[Mick Dempsey]

8 hours ago, woody paul said:

This will rattle a few talked to 2 retied workers (1 BT the other Posty ) doing gardening charging £15@Hour and rushed off there feet working 8-10 hours a day.   

Therein lies the rub, even if as a half decent climber you only get £150 a day, you can get a mower and a garden rake and earn more.

The difference is that your two retirees have found their own work.

My nephew, who I had hoped would start climbing, as he’s doing some garden work/ hedges/small trees is earning as much if not more than a fully qualified, battle hardened climber, why would he bother going to all the effort and expense of learning to climb?

 

Not a moan about wages, they are what they are, just an observation as to why decent firms on here cannot seem to get the staff.

Edited October 15, 2018 by Mick Dempsey

[DanBous]

Subbie climber with own gear 200 per day minimum. Groundsman with saw ticket 120 per day minimum.
Sometimes more if we have a good day.

[Rough Hewn]

I'll say it again.
And people wonder why they can't get decent staff?
Start fecking paying a decent wage.
[emoji51]

[James905]

I'll say it again.
And people wonder why they can't get decent staff?
Start fecking paying a decent wage.
[emoji51]

It's the reason all these small firms are sprouting up.

Climbers going on their own. I get paid 100pd as lead and I mean I set up organise climb, drag, chip, tip the lot!

Today I called it off to do my own work and will earn 400 without climbing more than 10ft up.

If firms paid more across the board then they would have more work with less of their staff leaving to go solo

[Coletti]

I'll say it again.
And people wonder why they can't get decent staff?
Start fecking paying a decent wage.
[emoji51]

You say pay a decent wage yet you questioned what im paying. Fyi..The rates I pay are not only what the subbies have asked for but also (as far as im aware) a decent wage. I pay better than most around me when I find someone worth holding onto and I often give "tips" or offer additional pay on harder jobs or on days where we have got on well.

My point is that if I can get a decent second climber for 120 a day and a decent climber for 150 a day, why would I (or anyone else for that matter) want to hire you in at 150 for the day to drag a bit of brash and do some chipping with no equipment supplied by your self. As has already been stated, established companies will have all the kit anyway so no need to be paying someone else to supply kit that's already there to be used.

I get that you would like to earn the higher rate (Don't we all) but to do that you'd have to invest in further certificates and spend years learning how to be a climber.

The biggest problem at the minute is that there seems to be so may doing this kind of work that it's just pushing the price down, meaning there's not enough on the job to pay you (in your role in the team) the 150 you are asking for.

[openspaceman]

3 minutes ago, Coletti said:

The biggest problem at the minute is that there seems to be so may doing this kind of work that it's just pushing the price down, meaning there's not enough on the job to pay you (in your role in the team) the 150 you are asking for.

This.

 

Anyway even superannuated me gets paid £125 minimum for branch dragging.

 

When I started climbers and arborculturists  were few on the ground, now I'm bound to see three or four on the road to work, this meant wages were at a premium and more than train drivers. Now train drivers command a decent salary that is more than most in our industry do (albeit with antisocial hours and more responsibilities).

[tree-fancier123]

7 hours ago, Mick Dempsey said:

My nephew, who I had hoped would start climbing, as he’s doing some garden work/ hedges/small trees is earning as much if not more than a fully qualified, battle hardened climber, why would he bother going to all the effort and expense of learning to climb?

because mowing and hedge cutting are seasonal, also climbing can make for a more enjoyable day than endless mowing - although I would never put enjoyment before money. Nothing worse than being poor.

[Mick Dempsey]

Hedge cutting is not really seasonal.

[tree-fancier123]

so all the subbie groundies and climbers who feel contractors aren't paying enough could become wealthy hedge cutters, entrepreneurs even