Gangmaster Licencing in Forestry

[Quickthorn]

Does anyone know the ins and outs of this?

 

GLA Forestry

 

If I did some felling or took my chipper out subbing to another company, do I come under gangmaster licencing? What about if someone subbed to me on one of my jobs?

[Mr Ed]

Wow. That made me froth at the mouth I got so angry.

So another piece of legislation and paperwork to add to your books, and a minimum fee of £400 for your licence, and £1600 for your test. what a load of $hit.

[Quickthorn]

Exactly. I know of at least one contractor who's been asked by the FC for his licence. The cost of it is ridiculous, so there's no way I can go for it, but if the FC and all local authorities start insisting on it to cover their arses, that's another chunk of work that will go west.

[Webby]

I'm certainly no expert in this area, and i don't want to get anyone's hope's up under false pretences, but I think you should be ok if you are contracted provide a service rather than just labour.

From the looks of you link, if you provide a person with a machine then you are exempt from licencing. So so long as every person who works for you can be seen to have a machine to work you may be ok?

[Craig Johnson]

as i understand, if you use a machine, and that can include saws and chippers, your ok, but they are after the labour only side, so if you do a lot of forestry planting, then you will need one

[Lee Winger]

What a frigging joke, the fools running this country make me feel sick to the pit!!!!!

[Dagmar]

The gangmaster licensing authority is a prime example of the government using hammers to crack nuts.

 

I’m in the region of 40% down on turnover directly as a result of these laws. Usually, I work on my own. Sometimes in association with others working on the site and occasionally, I’ll be sub-contracted to another party. I’ve even been the one doing the sub-contracting once or twice. When the new laws came in few thought that they would have any effect on the small agricultural contractors, for that’s the sector that fruit production falls into, and the one I work in.

 

Wrong! The employers are all running scared of the potential of swinging fines and possible prison sentences if the convicted as being part of an illegal gangmaster racket. End result? The big boys and the agencies get the work to fulfil these contracts and the little people get left in the cold – or you have to work for minimum wage.

 

I can’t justify the cost of registration and inspection on the basis that I need to employ a couple of bodies to help out a few times a year, or am hiring in operated plant. Whether the GLA intended this situation, I don’t know. But the effect is that the businesses that I rely on are refusing to offer the work unless it is a relatively small one person job. They are covering their arses up to their necks, and I’m not covering my outgoings.

 

The law came into effect last October so I have had a year to see the effect, I suspect many of you who undertake forestry or woodland management will see the same effects in 12 months time, i.e. lots of desk bound types with a job for life, whilst the saps they regulate quietly go out of business.

 

OK. Rant over!

[Andy Collins]

What a frigging joke, the fools running this country make me feel sick to the pit!!!!!

 

Second that Lee, bloody pen pushers are taking over the world, gone insane!!

[Dagmar]

Gangmasters Licence Fee 2008 – 09 Consultation

 

The Gangmasters Licensing Authority (GLA) has published a consultation seeking views on the proposed licence fee levels for 2008 - 09.

Changes to the licence fee level will take effect from 6 April 2008 and will apply for licence renewals and new applications after that date.

 

The FCA Directors are currently reviewing the consultation document and will be filing a response on behalf of our members, but should you wish to respond individually, please do so.

 

As we understand it, GLA has to recover its operating costs through licensing fees.

 

 

 

The proposal is to increase the inspection fee costs by 12.5% to £2,250 in Band D – the band into which most of you who have applied for licences fit.

If this is agreed, those of you in Band D will have your renewal fees frozen at £400 for next year.

 

 

 

As Donald Maclean, FCA Chairman points out:

 

 

 

“The new businesses coming forward will presumably decrease; the move to generate large sums from new applicants really has to be made now.

 

 

 

Next year, the license fee itself will have to be hiked up, probably substantially, as GLA income becomes ever more dependant on existing license holders.

 

 

 

 

The full consultation document is available on the GLA website: http://www.gla.gov.uk and the closing date for the consultation is 21 December 2007.

[renewablejohn]

What if you all joined together in a workers cooperative then you could have 1 fee divided by the number of members.