Wages information - how much should I be on

[Andy Collins]

"national diploma in forestry and arboriculture, CS30 & 31 and I am being assessed for 38 tomorrow"

 

How can that equate to min wage? A labourer or shelf stacker (not to decry those jobs) equates to min wage. This guy has some experience, some qualifications and surely deserves to expect a bit better than Min wage. It's no wonder wages are so low in this game if we don't recognise the skills those at the beginning of their career bring to the job.

 

He is entering a vocation which is heavily saturated with many with the same level of training and skills as he has. Which is why I suggested a fair rate given his holiday pay, and other benefits of employment. I also suggested that he should get an increase as his experience and proficiency increases. It's not a case of trying to keep wages down, it's reality. Very few at the beginning of their career have much skill to bring to the job, and in fact more time can be spent supervising them to get them to the level required. Top arbs with all the skills already in place would command top money, not a person fresh out of college. They need to work their way up, or what ambition is there?

[Goaty]

He is entering a vocation which is heavily saturated with many with the same level of training and skills as he has. Which is why I suggested a fair rate given his holiday pay, and other benefits of employment. I also suggested that he should get an increase as his experience and proficiency increases. It's not a case of trying to keep wages down, it's reality. Very few at the beginning of their career have much skill to bring to the job, and in fact more time can be spent supervising them to get them to the level required. Top arbs with all the skills already in place would command top money, not a person fresh out of college. They need to work their way up, or what ambition is there?

 

Have to agree, I have been kind to youngsters in the past and it has not done them any good. Paid them well. They use a decent pay as a benchmark, then refuse accept less in the future and get disappointed. I like the idea of helping out others and the underdog.

 

I have worked with several people with learning difficulties(Not in Arb!) You spend tremendous amounts of time supervising and redoing the work. Which is noble but myself I actually do less than I would've working alone.

Qualifications are not the same as employability. The gulf is widening with our academic obsessed policies these days. Business minded effective effeciency is not learnable in a lifetime for many.

 

Would you pay the same to hire a 50hp tractor as a 200hp? However a good worker deserves to be monitored regularly and rewarded for his value, Alot of Bosses say their company is doing well but fail to share the credit appropriately with employees.

 

Well done to the OP for posting and taking onboard the comments.

Edited August 1, 2013 by Goaty
spelling

[MaximusExcelsior]

Cheers all. Taken all the information on board. I passed my cs38 by the way haha. I'm sure we will establish a suitable rate of pay. I don't really mind what I'm on as long as I can get by. I just love this job so much and grateful for the opportunity.

[Joe Newton]

Cheers all. Taken all the information on board. I passed my cs38 by the way haha. I'm sure we will establish a suitable rate of pay. I don't really mind what I'm on as long as I can get by. I just love this job so much and grateful for the opportunity.

 

Congrats on the 38 bud, I remember it as being great fun. The sky is (almost) the limit from here.

 

Good attitude, but for heavens sake, don't tell your gaffer that

 

(Edit: We're on the same number of posts!)

Edited August 1, 2013 by Joe Newton
Beer

[gensetsteve]

manager

30,160 - 42,640

 

Does anyone need a manager ? I can get by without the £640 if it helps

[openspaceman]

manager

30,160 - 42,640

 

Does anyone need a manager ? I can get by without the £640 if it helps

 

 

With the current game of musical chairs in the utilities side of the business there will be climbers on more than that. Bubbles burst every few years so make hay...

[kevinjohnsonmbe]

Alot of Bosses say their company is doing well but fail to share the credit appropriately with employees.

:

 

That's the key to the problem of low wages at the "doing" end in my opinion!

 

£7/h is around (not sure exactly) the national min wage isn't it? So why not stack shelves with thumb up Harris?

 

I get the passion & enjoyment OP appears to exude (and good on you!) I'm just saddened that "we" don't think it's worth more than min wage. I'm also surprised (and saddened given that I know what it takes to do this job as I go to bed tonight with a twisted ankle, bruised knuckles and an aching knee) that the labourer on a building site with no passion, no drive, no ambition gets paid as much or more.

 

Can I put my money where my mouth is? I've got semi-regular subbies: climbing £120-180/day, ground £100-150/day and I'm comfortable with that. I can usually get the right guy at the right time for the right job and enjoy working with them. Maybe the mortgage would have been paid off sooner if I was paying min wage though.

 

I don't have anyone "on the books" as I only do 3 days a week now but I appreciate its a different game with additional overheads and admin, maybe that's the part of the puzzle I'm missing??

[gand]

Not sure on a starting wage nowadays, but when I started in 2001 I was being paid £60 p/day and I had nc in arboriculture, And all tickets to 39 and spraying tickets

[Andy Collins]

That's the key to the problem of low wages at the "doing" end in my opinion!

 

£7/h is around (not sure exactly) the national min wage isn't it? So why not stack shelves with thumb up Harris?

 

I get the passion & enjoyment OP appears to exude (and good on you!) I'm just saddened that "we" don't think it's worth more than min wage. I'm also surprised (and saddened given that I know what it takes to do this job as I go to bed tonight with a twisted ankle, bruised knuckles and an aching knee) that the labourer on a building site with no passion, no drive, no ambition gets paid as much or more.

 

Can I put my money where my mouth is? I've got semi-regular subbies: climbing £120-180/day, ground £100-150/day and I'm comfortable with that. I can usually get the right guy at the right time for the right job and enjoy working with them. Maybe the mortgage would have been paid off sooner if I was paying min wage though.

 

I don't have anyone "on the books" as I only do 3 days a week now but I appreciate its a different game with additional overheads and admin, maybe that's the part of the puzzle I'm missing??

 

I'm pretty much in the same boat as yourself, 3/4 day weeks, subbies as and when needed. And I agree, a top skilled climber or groundie deserves top dollar (well nearly) but someone fresh out of college is not in that league, and will learn and advance and eventually achieve. If someone at the bottom end of the job can earn more stacking shelves, doesn't wish to learn the ropes, then I wouldn't want him around anyway, regardless of pay. Someone like Max, with his attitude, will go on to succeed and earn good money, and that is how things should be....in time.

[MaximusExcelsior]

Thanks for everybody's input. Just gonna keep climbing until I get to the top. Pun intended