price work

[dodger]

i been doing climbing now for 35 plus, for the last 23 years i been on price, i wont mention their prices but just say a london plane, 15 years ago with a 3 man crew myself climbing and two groundsmen, i would do 4 medium planes to earn myself £130 aday and groundsmen £80, that was 15 years ago, over the years as more and more large firms were completeing against each other the prices has drop, for us climbers we had to do 5 then 6 planes to earn the same money, and now in some boroughs one have to do 6 large planes that takes all day climbing, but if your lucky you might just earn day rate £90 to £100 aday, but over the years i seen many many climbing just wreck their bodies ie falls or caple tunneling eg, not one was look after just throw on the scrap heap, i also seen these companies turn a blind eye on health and safety just to meet their demands, personaly i think the councils have a big part to blame also, as they are looking at the cheapest quotes. my mate phoned me he works on price in a london borough, two years ago on lime repollards he had to do 8 to earn £120 plus, this year he has to do 16 for the same money, it means more pressure on ones body, and turning a blind eye on the crews health and saftey, its not a plesure anymore to climb, one feels like a machine that pressure to meet demands and every couple of years the prices are dropping, and ones bodies are slowly getting messed up. over the the 23 plus years of price work i seen many accidents because off price work, and few of them will never be able to work again,

 

the companies, the council, and hse should take a hard look at what effects price work has on its employers, and to the public too and its going to take a death before they wake up

 

theres alot more i like to say but have to pop out

Edited April 13, 2010 by John Shutler

[ukminch]

I think you need to take some responsibility to, if you keep doing what is unreasonable asked then people will push you further and further. It means that companies have to further undercut each other. At the end of the day if you don't like what your being paid for the job, maybe it's the wrong job for you.

 

If all the climbers refused to earn what you consider to be rubbish money then companies would have to put the prices up again. Whilst you've got people prepared to work for nothing there's no chance of your situation improving.

 

Just my thought, right or wrong.

 

R

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

I sympathise with your issue, having done a lot of this "economy" speed reduction style work on LA contracts, you speak of VERY real issues regarding this particular area of our industry, it is something i have delibreatley chosen to avoid like the plague, it is, as you say, stressfull, hard on the body and VERY fatigue orientated as far as the accidents go.

 

The LA T/O's have a hard time getting the work done to thier budgets and i understand thier needs, but it is as you have pointed out, driving a competition scenario that can only end in tradegy.

 

My advice to my friend is get out while you can, with your esperiance a small firm doing local domestic work would snap you up and value you, and life will at least be at a sensible pace.

[Lee Winger]

i been doing climbing now for 35 plus, for the last 23 years i been on price, i wont mention their prices but just say a london plane, 15 years ago with a 3 man crew myself climbing and two groundsmen, i would do 4 medium planes to earn myself £130 aday and groundsmen £80, that was 15 years ago, over the years as more and more large firms were completeing against each other the prices has drop, for us climbers we had to do 5 then 6 planes to earn the same money, and now in some boroughs one have to do 6 large planes that takes all day climbing, but if your lucky you might just earn day rate £90 to £100 aday, but over the years i seen many many climbing just wreck their bodies ie falls or caple tunneling eg, not one was look after just throw on the scrap heap, i also seen these companies turn a blind eye on health and safety just to meet their demands, personaly i think the councils have a big part to blame also, as they are looking at the cheapest quotes. my mate phoned me he works on price in a london borough, two years ago on lime repollards he had to do 8 to earn £120 plus, this year he has to do 16 for the same money, it means more pressure on ones body, and turning a blind eye on the crews health and saftey, its not a plesure anymore to climb, one feels like a machine that pressure to meet demands and every couple of years the prices are dropping, and ones bodies are slowly getting messed up. over the the 23 plus years of price work i seen many accidents because off price work, and few of them will never be able to work again,

 

the companies, the council, and hse should take a hard look at what effects price work has on its employers, and to the public too and its going to take a death before they wake up

 

theres alot more i like to say but have to pop out

 

This is the main reason I jacked the contracting in, It wasn't fair on me or my blokes, my parting words with a local LA were ''when the prices pick up to a sensible rate, we will be more than happy to resume working for you, and you'll get the quality service you and your local population deserve, until then I'm out''

 

This game used to be good, a man used to put in a fair days work and he got a fair days pay, these days most slog there guts out and get bugger all!

Edited April 13, 2010 by Lee Winger

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

This is the main reason I jacked the contracting in, It wasn't fair on me or my blokes, my parting words with a local LA were ''when the prices pick up to a sensible rate, we will be more than happy to resume working for you, and you'll get the quality service you and your local population deserve, until then I'm out''

 

good man:thumbup:

[Lee Winger]

good man:thumbup:

 

This game will pick up or the prices will in another 5 years time, nothing mega, we'll know doubt have another boom period in time too..

 

In the meantime I'll ponce about with me hedge cutter, lawnmower and strimmer for around a oner a day, taking it nice and easy, and take a few de-compaction/vertical mulching jobs when they come in........

Edited April 13, 2010 by Lee Winger

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

This game will pick up or the prices will in another 5 years time, nothing mega, we'll know doubt have another boom period in time too..

 

In the meantime I'll ponce about with me hedge cutter, lawnmower and strimmer for around a oner a day, taking it nice and easy, and take a few de-compaction/vertical mulching jobs when they come in........

 

you do much airspading lee?

[Lee Winger]

not as much as I'd like

[robert t]

I will have been working in arb for 30years come June, last 20 years running own business. Been through good and bad times before. Things are as hard as they have ever been just now, prices going down, more competition, cost going through the roof. Legislating and health and safety getting tougher, bringing even more cost.

I complain about all these things just now, but I think we all forgetting that up until 2007,2008 we have all had our strawberries and cream, with work very plentiful and money coming in to buy shinny new toys with. I think if we can ride this one out by tighten our belts, looking for different customers, filling empty days with other things to make money. Think out side the box, diversify.

I'm sure we will not all make it through, but I'm sure a lot will see of this bad time and the good times with come back. Strawberries and cream again soon.

 

Just my thoughts for what its worth.

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

All good points guys, but this issue is a VERY specific one, and having been at this end of the game, pumping out upto 17 lime reductions (rubbish grade work mind) a day to make the money i was worth was crazy, but i was young, unbearably fit and mad as a hatter for it. Now i am older wiser, and couldnt live with the ethics involved.