AA

[Ross Winchester]

the AA are apparently planning on doing full page ads at the

front of the arb sections in the yellow pages to promote arb approved companies,

telling the public why they should choose them etc...... Can anyone verifiy this

[Lee Winger]

they have a small ad in the front now under trade orgs

[treediver]

Hope thats a load of crap. Full page! I could understand a small ad but its like saying dont trust any of those others companies without our logo ......as they dont give us their hard earned cash year in year out.

 

Im all for trade bodies but that takes the pi$$.

[Yorkshireman]

Bogus

this extract isTaken from a local auth contract spec

 

Where's best value in all this !!!!

 

Quote 'The successful provider must be an arboricultural association approved contractor and all arboricultural works must be carried out as per the details of the specification. Agricultural, forestry and horticultural services. Tree-clearing services. Tree-cutting services. Tree-maintenance services. Tree pruning and hedge trimming. Tree pruning. Hedge trimming

 

This contract is for all work to trees located in parks, public open spaces (POS), highways, woodlands and any other council owned and managed land. Tree-clearing services. Agricultural, forestry and horticultural services. Tree-clearing services. Tree-cutting services. Tree-maintenance services. Tree pruning and hedge trimming. Tree pruning. Hedge trimming'

 

(Is this behavour, maybe why part of our industry mis trusts the AA ???)

[Yorkshireman]

if your interested

 

Torbay Council, 1st Floor, Tor Hill House, Attn: Carly Wedderburn, UK-Torquay TQ2 5QW. Tel. 01803 208980. E-mail: [email protected]. Fax 01803 208976

[Andy Collins]

Sounds like jobs for the boys to me, the "old boy" network is alive and kicking. Nowt wrong with any business promoting itself on a level playing field, but to insinuate that non-AA contractors arent fit to deal with is a kick in the teeth!! Most of the "big boys" started out with a battered old tranny van and knackered kit, and now they've made it big, they want to try and shut the door on future businesses. Does the AA make it possible for a small business, ie 1man band with a transit, chipper and a dog to meet its requirements for Approval?? If not do they not think it may be wise to include the grass roots businesses in some way, for the future of the industry? Even the mighty AA cannot survive solely on the backs of big business, they need to keep the little man on side too.

[treediver]

How long before compulsory AA approved.. for insurance ,all council work and generally blowing your nose....not long methinks...

[Andy Collins]

Well, we have the last laugh, if we want. If people at grass roots level, voted with their feet, things would soon change to accomodate everyone, and then they'd represent everyones interests not just their own. I was a member of the AA for a few years, cos I thought at the time they cared for people that cared for trees, I left cos I felt it was just another back-slapping club for the boys. I've joined the ISA instead now, and think, for now, its better than the AA. We'll see.

[Yorkshireman]

How long before compulsory AA approved.. for insurance ,all council work and generally blowing your nose....not long methinks...

 

I'm sure thats what the AA would like,

 

they encouraged & succeeded in getting a local authority to put a link direct to the AA site from the auths web page, for persons looking for an Arborist,

which isnt a bad thing however they forgot to offer the public more than that choice, leaving it unbalanced, & unrepresentive of the local skills base --

thats been Corrected now tho'

[bob]

hope i get this right all council tree departments were invited to a h&s regional seminars approx 2 years ago and part of it was council liability if a council sets on any contractor and something goes wrong the person who signed the work order would be liable if they had not done all the checks ie risk assess,qualifications,equipment,insurance and on and on whereas the AA does all these checks so it absolves the council from checking and any liability