Is there a lack of groundman?

[swinny]

Im curious to know what others think and especially from round the country.

 

Is there a lack of workers? I know of a few lads that have been looking for groundies to no avail.

 

Is this other peoples experiance?

[richy_B]

Certainly hard to find reliable staff, ground or climbers. London and paying good money - lots of let downs.

[stihlmadasever]

Depends where you are.Up here in glasgow good experienced ground staff are difficult to hold onto,they usually go onto climbing to chase the money

[swinny]

Based in lancashire.

 

Not many lads about at all, most have set up on own and need lads themselves.

 

Only lads left avaliable to work are lads that want 120-130 a day to ground.

 

Over the top for just brash dragging and chipping etc which is all most folk need, no need to bring any gear just ppe and water proofs

[Stephen Blair]

It's a thankless job imo! Ive said to every lad that's ever worked alongside or for me, unless you want to climb or fell trees then grounding is not a career! It's a job you do until you get a real job. If school qualifications aren't great and they are fit I advise them on the Police, firebrigade or even a building site.

Working for a small outfit then there is no regular breaks and you will be working for a bad tempered stressed owner operator who has had to work crazy miserable hours so expects everyone else to and be grateful!!

Get a job with a big company, get all the Tickets on their time and then try and get a job driving something where it's warm and comfy

[Coletti]

I think it all depends on pay, I have people I can use to drag brash and I pay them up to 80 a day. Most days I use a qualified climber as part of a 2 man team and between the couple I use we all run our own businesses and all at different skill levels so share the climbing and grounding and I pay them between 120 and 150 regardless of if they climb or ground and then call in the cheaper brash dragger when needed on 3 man days

[inthewoods]

Think it always has been hasn't it?! Unless you want £60 a day brash monkeys...

 

Where are you advertising for jobs?

[Stoatally]

Do you want unskilled labour or people who know what they're doing?

 

Are you after ground staff with aerial rescue?

 

Surely what you're after setts what you're willing to pay and therefore sets what you're likely to get?

[Acer Forestry]

I reckon it is worth remembering that any tree company needs capable and sensible people on the ground as much as they need the aerial blokes, and they are worth paying a sensible rate. Have someone remotely lazy or not very observant on the ground and things will go wrong. "Brash monkeys" is a highly derogatory term for guys who still have to be well versed with saws,chippers, rigging, possibly aerial rescue (though a pointless ticket, IMO), making sure that the public are out of the way...need i go on? Think about that. I freelance on the ground and won't work for anyone who has a cr*p attitude.

[swinny]

I reckon it is worth remembering that any tree company needs capable and sensible people on the ground as much as they need the aerial blokes, and they are worth paying a sensible rate. Have someone remotely lazy or not very observant on the ground and things will go wrong. "Brash monkeys" is a highly derogatory term for guys who still have to be well versed with saws,chippers, rigging, possibly aerial rescue (though a pointless ticket, IMO), making sure that the public are out of the way...need i go on? Think about that. I freelance on the ground and won't work for anyone who has a cr*p attitude.

 

Of course this is all true.

 

On the other hand you can pay some people more money and they will never be any better. The couple of good groundies I use get more then just someone brought in to drag brash. We have a laugh, work and maybe go to the pub after.

 

I've had lads in their 30's and younger college lads so tried a variety of age groups.

 

Theres give and take on both sides of employer and employee. And both need respect for each other whilst having a good time and enjoying work.

 

 

Obvioursly area dependant on wages etc but on domestic arb around here 120-130 a day is too much for a groundie who just turns up with nothing. Climbers are 120-150 groundies are 70-100/110 max experiance and attitude dictate where on the scale people are