council competing against us! disgusting!

[simonm]

just found out from a friend of mine that our local council have dropped lots of flyers off advertising their services to members of the public! 1 job i know they have won is a 50 linear metre hawthorne hedge that wants trimming 2 meters tall council put £1400 on said job and won it . now im wundering why they are allowed to compete for potential jobs me or any of you could be doing? especially when WE the tax payer are buying their fuel, machines, equipment and paying wages! now yes some of us do compete against local authority for jobs, but WE arent getting any handouts from tax payers money:thumbdown: does this happen anywhere else or is there any rumors of this happening where you are?

[Andy Collins]

I may be wrong, but in the drive for ever increasing efficiency, council teams have to be seen to be earning their keep! Gone are the days of the council worker leaning on a broom all day! Is it fair? maybe not, but we have to deal with it.

[Jesse]

just found out from a friend of mine that our local council have dropped lots of flyers off advertising their services to members of the public! 1 job i know they have won is a 50 linear metre hawthorne hedge that wants trimming 2 meters tall council put £1400 on said job and won it . now im wundering why they are allowed to compete for potential jobs me or any of you could be doing? especially when WE the tax payer are buying their fuel, machines, equipment and paying wages! now yes some of us do compete against local authority for jobs, but WE arent getting any handouts from tax payers money:thumbdown: does this happen anywhere else or is there any rumors of this happening where you are?

I am absolutely appalled by all of this. It's been happening down here in Somerset for a while now. When you consider that the Local Authority used to sub out jobs that they couldn't be bothered to do and now they're competing for everything using subsidised machinery, fuel, insurance and everything else you can think of that it costs to run a business. I think shame on the councils and I hope it all fails for them in due course.

[simonm]

I am absolutely appalled by all of this. It's been happening down here in Somerset for a while now. When you consider that the Local Authority used to sub out jobs that they couldn't be bothered to do and now they're competing for everything using subsidised machinery, fuel, insurance and everything else you can think of that it costs to run a business. I think shame on the councils and I hope it all fails for them in due course.

 

problem is though they cant afford for it to fail! especially now theyve had their budgets cut. judging by most of the councils previous jobs ive seen i wouldnt let them cut my back lawn

[Tom D]

I have seen this happen too, sadly its the kind of thing that can happen in LA LA land.

 

If they have completed all their work on council trees and they have spare time instead of letting some staff and equipment go and saving the taxpayer a few quid they go out touting for private work.

 

The really crazy thing is when they price a job they can put any price on it they like, all their overheads are paid already...

 

Bonkers!

[VEG]

The money they make doing outside work goes back into the council coffers so it is in fact good use of their time.

[born2trot]

I'm appaulled by this , its morally wrong on every level .

[Jesse]

just found out from a friend of mine that our local council have dropped lots of flyers off advertising their services to members of the public! 1 job i know they have won is a 50 linear metre hawthorne hedge that wants trimming 2 meters tall council put £1400 on said job and won it . now im wundering why they are allowed to compete for potential jobs me or any of you could be doing? especially when WE the tax payer are buying their fuel, machines, equipment and paying wages! now yes some of us do compete against local authority for jobs, but WE arent getting any handouts from tax payers money:thumbdown: does this happen anywhere else or is there any rumors of this happening where you are?

Let me tell you another incident, I have a friend who works as an arb for the Local council, who frequently falls asleep in the afternoon waking up late and books it as overtime when hes late going back to the yard due to an over sleep- he is truly a lazy git

[volvo]

As far as i know they have to make a commecial profit.

They do not own the equipment they use it is hired from there transport division.

Thats how it used to be or it might have changed.

[Tom D]

Further more on really massive contracts it is against european competition law for state backed organisations to bid for private work...... one rule for the big boys.....