Over worked and under payed

[richyrich]

It is all market forces- probably oversupply of labour. Tree work attracts workers that like outdoor work, etc. For self employed it has an element of freedom, which many prefer to working in a factory or brewery. Brickies get more due to companies making profits for building houses. The supply of bricklayers is probably short. 

The end result of a pruned or felled tree,(amenity tree) does not usually give the customer an asset they can sell- you are not creating a saleable asset like a new house. 

Oversupply of workers is probably main reason for lower wages- there are countless travelling 'arborists' that knock on doors and keep prices down in the lower end domestic market.

 

[Mark Bolam]

Cain I feel your pain, but the truth is you are in a shit industry if you want to make money.

 

Good climbers SHOULD be on £300+/day, but they’re not for a reason.

The market won’t stand it.

 

Buy £50k+ worth of gear and run your own show, then see how many jobs you win.

 

It’s a shit underpaid industry basically, and only the top 10% of the losers in it post on here.

 

I love it though, that’s why we’re here.

 

Arb masochists.

 

If you don’t like it do something else.

[manco]

homeowners going with the cheaper work because they dont realise in advance how much it can go wrong or be done wrong by someone who isnt properly skilled or just doesnt care about quality of work

you get paid less for subcontract work because you havent done the legwork in it before getting up the tree.

in theory you should maybe get it all on the ground then sod off and leave the clearing up to the main contractor (haha yeah right as if)

 

"If you work for a living, why do you kill yourself working?"

[5thelement]

9 hours ago, Cain said:

Will leave topic open but nothing else to say. I know what I will be doing. Will say very surprised how many chose to read a topic about being over worked and under payed. Guess you all feel the same 😎

When you say Subby, what exactly do you mean?

Bonafide Subby running a job with your own kit and responsible for the outcome, using your insurance , or Subby as in hired in glorified labourer?

I am neither overworked nor underpaid as I price my own jobs.
 

[swinny]

.

Edited January 13 by swinny
Can't be arsed

[Mike Hill]

It really is a case of supply and demand.

 

Sounds like there is an over supply in Edinburgh. 24 years ago I was earning £150 per day as a climber in Germany,16 years ago I was earning £250 as a climber in Norway.

 

I used to be able to charge £200 per hour doing crane fells because there wasnt anyone else in this town who was available to subb to other companies.I remember talking to Reg who was hardly making that per day doing the same thing at the time. Now there are multiple guys in this town who can do crane work so it wont earn me a premium anymore.

 

I like to think I am still the most dashing climber however.

[doobin]

16 hours ago, Cain said:

I am based in Edinburgh rates are between £180 to £220 a day. How can you make a living wage and supply saws climbing kit update tickets run a van on peanuts?? The jobs dangerous and hard on the body. Don’t we deserve to be making more considering the out lay for all the above and not to mention high risk of injury means no work no money. Ironically I can do one job a week pay a Groundy between £180 and £250 and make more money than I can subing for a week. Just seems ridiculous. And yes I do pay this to Groundy or second climber sometimes more depending on what’s involved and against the job. 

So run your own jobs if you're that good at it!

14 hours ago, Cain said:

Ex para my self mate served my time and was payed dog shit wages. But at least there was perks. Enjoy the job but not working for next to nothing for some greedy bugger wanting all my kit and experience so they can pay pennies more than someone on the books. I think a subcontractor supplying kit and experience should be on £300 a day. Shock horror from you?? Look at building sites my mate 4 and a half days a week brick layer with a £10 trowel £80,000 a year so ye I think we’re over worked and under paid 

Or become a brickie....

 

FFS.

[Mick Dempsey]

3 hours ago, swinny said:

.

Ha ha! 
I’ve been there.

[Puffingbilly413]

13 hours ago, Cain said:

Average pay here is £180 to £220 a day for a component climber/ forestry worker

So assuming you're working the notional 220 days a year that's £39600-48400 a year before tax and expenses. 

I don't know what your running costs are but that seems a reasonable amount to me for having little entrepreneurial risk as a freelancer

Edited January 13 by Puffingbilly413

[Steven P]

He reckons about 18k a year in expenses for local work