Rates of pay?

[Jesse]

1970s.... 3 day weeks, strikes, pay cuts, blackouts, extortianate costs of living

1980s.... 1 in 10 unemployed, no chances no breaks no good, I had to do three part time jobs, starting at 5am til midnight to earn enough to live on. 3million unemployed. The plus side was lack of crappy tickets needed, I could finish a job Friday, start a new one Monday, no problems, it just wasn't full time. Went plastering, loadsamoney!!!!!

1990s another crap decade begins, slump, took a crap warehouse job to ride the economic slump, had a fiver left over after bills were paid.

96 things finally pick up and I earn good money in tree work. It took me 16 blooming years to strt to earn sensible money. No easy route, no good wages straight from college. Life is tough.

Would I want to be starting out now in this game? Definitely not, too crowded, too many in it, fighting for crumbs, the Arb sector will collapse under its own weight sooner or later.

 

Totally agree , its saturated.

[john p]

TBH Andy im amazed its not collapsed already,the trees just aint there anymore!

[pie eater pete]

Best bet is move abroad.

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

Best bet is move abroad.

 

this is becoming increasingly true, its remarkable how much more valued skills are elsewhere.

[john p]

if i did not have kids id be abroad like a shot

[Mike Hill]

Don't you think sticking around and solving your own Country's problems isn't the right thing to do?

 

As for "the grass is greener" syndrome.The Tree industry in New Zealand is pretty much saturated as well. There were 72 Companies offering Tree Services in Christchurch alone.

 

The industry is a victim of its own appeal .

[swinny]

I agree there are a lot of people in this industry, some will stick at it, some wont.

 

But can i say this and not start a debate/ argument please?

 

There has to be new people to come into the industry for it to continue, what happens when you 40 odd year olds retire etc? And most on here are 40 or over... there is a big void. People who say they will still b climbing at 70 need their heads turning another 1/4 turn to make sure its screwed on. I certainly want to be retired long before then

 

Some new lads need a break and an opportunity, not older tree surgeons getting annoyed that someone new is in the area...

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

if i did not have kids id be abroad like a shot

 

like you I make excuses!

 

We all do it too, theres that "grass is greener" echo in my mind, a sort of fear, but when im abroad or talking to my international euro buddies I know it would be so much cooler abroad They have a different attitude and lifestyle.

 

Kids adapt far quicker than us old gits, and probably benefit a great deal from the experiences.

[Le Sanglier]

Seem to be crying out for climbers in Oz. I'd be out there like a shot......if I wasn't so bleeding old!

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

Seem to be crying out for climbers in Oz. I'd be out there like a shot......if I wasn't so bleeding old!

 

ha ha ha, yep, thats what worries me too, how long do we have? when will those guys start saying "he aint what he used to be"

 

worries me sometimes, but what else would I do!