Good wage for a groundie/Inexperienced climber?

[A_lopa]

I have a ground guy on thats a good climber(not expected to climb),heavy licence,$200 or 93.2182 GBP a day +superanuation 9% and around $50 fuel a week.

[ecolojim]

Ive been grounding for 3 years now. Not that long compared to some, but I think im pretty decent at it. Cant tow 'more than a pencil' but I can reverse anything, good with customers, good at lowering, always keep the climber's ropes clear and organised, got my climbing and aerial rescue ticket and keep myself in practice. Done some climbing jobs for the two companies, pruning etc, and done some take downs on trees round the farm to get my positioning up to scratch.

 

Im currently getting £60 quid a day and lucky if i get one or two days a week from the two companies I work for. They both have a guy working full time for them, one has his basic chainsaw, the other guy has nothing. Technically this is against the law on any job involving climbing, but end of the day, I feel like im getting short changed, but theyre even cheaper.

 

Last week I applied to the EA for operations delivery. Would be better off there now im trying to get a mortgage. It's a real shame, but if I cant progress through tree work then I have no choice

[Arborlord]

You can legally use a chainsaw with out tickets as long as your supervised.

 

In this tight time the workers who cost the least will always get work over some one with tickets.

 

You should be worth more but when companies need to save money getting cheaper labour is the first thing to happen.

 

By law you should have a climber and groundie who have ariel rescue but i sub alot and have never had this where two people have the cert only one.

[ecolojim]

trouble is, he/they arent supervised, because the only other guy on site is the boss who is climbing at the time!

[ecolojim]

I only sound bitter because I am lol!

[18 stoner]

Ive been grounding for 3 years now. Not that long compared to some, but I think im pretty decent at it. Cant tow 'more than a pencil' but I can reverse anything, good with customers, good at lowering, always keep the climber's ropes clear and organised, got my climbing and aerial rescue ticket and keep myself in practice. Done some climbing jobs for the two companies, pruning etc, and done some take downs on trees round the farm to get my positioning up to scratch.

 

Im currently getting £60 quid a day and lucky if i get one or two days a week from the two companies I work for. They both have a guy working full time for them, one has his basic chainsaw, the other guy has nothing. Technically this is against the law on any job involving climbing, but end of the day, I feel like im getting short changed, but theyre even cheaper.

 

Last week I applied to the EA for operations delivery. Would be better off there now im trying to get a mortgage. It's a real shame, but if I cant progress through tree work then I have no choice

 

I think you are a good example why top groundies are hard to find Jim.

 

It seems to me, that if you are as good as you say Jim, your employers are taking the p**s somewhat. No wonder you are looking for other employment!

 

The way i see it the groundy should always be in charge of the works on site, after all, he is the only man in contact with all parts of the job. He/she needs to tend every whim of the climber, yes, but on larger jobs a "head groundy" can deligate and deal with issues that arise during the works, speaking to customers, officials, members of the public, oversee traffic control etc, etc. All this as well as having rescue tickets, using machinery, saws etc.

 

I am sorry, but any person who is capable of taking on such a massive responsibility as this, must be worth more than shelf stacking type wages, or they are going to walk from Arb!

[Mike Hill]

 

I am sorry, but any person who is capable of taking on such a massive responsibility as this, must be worth more than shelf stacking type wages, or they are going to walk from Arb!

 

 

I think your dead right there,but unfortunatly if climbers are still earning about the same as they were five years ago,there is little chance of a change of pay.

[Mozza]

Hey Mozza, why not leave Stab city and come and work in Snowdonia:001_tt1:

 

If your serious ill be interested in what you have to say!!

 

I do consider myself a GOOD groundsman, i have been doing the job 8 years now, Worked in most sectors, im confident in felling anything and also working with climbers/ lowering ropes and devices!

 

I was thinking between 18 and 21k a year would be a decent wage, With a view to hopefully going up IF someone takes the time out to teach me to climb better as at the moment my current comapny isnt doing this!!

[Big 'Ammer]

The way i see it the groundy should always be in charge of the works on site, after all, he is the only man in contact with all parts of the job. He/she needs to tend every whim of the climber, yes, but on larger jobs a "head groundy" can deligate and deal with issues that arise during the works, speaking to customers, officials, members of the public, oversee traffic control etc, etc. All this as well as having rescue tickets, using machinery, saws etc.

QUOTE]

 

That's why I do the lads job on the ground mostly these days!

 

It hard to be in full charge of a site from the top of a tree.

 

Other advantage is you can see the shape the customer sees from their outside view, not the inside view from the crown looking out.

 

Also, if you are training someone, you can then direct a less experienced climber how to go about moving round the tree in a particular order to be efficient and not cover the same ground (bit of canopy) twice.

 

They can then concentrate on improving their climbing technique and hence speed, without dithering about wondering which bit to cut off first and which bit to cut off next etc.

 

Thats how I learnt and its stood me, and the people I have subsequently trained, in good stead.

 

Saying all that, I have really been enjoying doing some climbing again lately! Its a piece of piss compared to brash dragging!

[18 stoner]

I once knew a builder who employed 2 gangs of brickies. He siad he would use one labourer to mix cement and he would wheelbarrow the mix to the 2 gang of brick layers. He said it was the only way to keep them all going and keep an eye on everything. Similar principal i think!