how difficult can it be?

[hospital]

Hi guys,just finished my apprenticeship with the n.h.s. and they are refusing to recognise me as an electrician or pay me more money,is it really that difficult to start doing a few jobs for yourself/set up a small business,i have a small van and all the tools,test equipment and stuff,any advice from out there would be much appreciated.
Pete.

 

[johnboy6083]

how are they refusing to recognise you as an electrician, if you completed their apprenticeship? Out of interest, how much does a spark in the NHS get, ive heard its as paltry as 18k.

 

[hospital]

i'm on 15k at the moment the bottom of the spark band is 1844 so yes paltry indeed but they won't even pay that.

 

[johnboy6083]

how can they not? are they trying to force you to leave?

 

[hospital]

yes we think that is what they are trying to do,they have allready stopped on call payments and retention bonus this alone amounts to 3200 a year for nhs electricians,some have allready left because they can no longer afford to work here,fitters too.also anyone who retires is not replaced we think they are running the dept down then they will get contractors in.By the way although they say there is no vacancy for me they still want me to carry out electrical work in the hospital so you can see why i've had it with the nhs.

 

[DurhamSparky]

i would look for a new job!!

 

[hospital]

exactly thats why i wanted to know how hard it is to start your own business and what are the pitfalls as i can't work here much longer.Look on the bright side i wuold'nt have to earn much to match what i'm on now

 

[Engineer54]

Hi guys,just finished my apprenticeship with the n.h.s. and they are refusing to recognise me as an electrician or pay me more money.

The reason your being treated so badly and frankly i believe illegally, ...is because you and others won't stand up for your rights!!.... Your allowing an accountant based management team, that doesn't care a less about what a hospital needs, force you into a position your probably not ready for!!!

If you have completed a ''Recognised indentured apprenticeship'' Hold the relative accepted qualifications, Then they have no legal footing NOT to accept/recognise you as an electrician. What possible grounds are they putting forward for the non recognition of there own completed apprentice scheme?? Look at your apprenticeship papers, i'm pretty sure this is covered, i know it was in mine...

 

[Blowcat]

When I finished my apprenticeship they kept me as an apprentice, on apprentice money but doing small/nice n easy jobs loosley supervised for another 7 months before I finally got my reconised grading from them.
However during those 7 months about 50 people from the company got made redundant and some top sparks too.
My foreman told me that if he made me up to sparky I would have been made redundant but this way he kept me, i had a job and got some experience as a new sparky with people I knew around to give us help and a bit of a confidence builder too. If your thinking of leaving make sure you get all your certs/jib card/what ever before you leave. Once you got them the worlds ya oyster

 

[Richard]

frankly i believe illegally

What law are they breaking?

 

[Engineer54]

Failure to comply to a signed contract, ...ie, Apprenticeship papers are contractually binding!!
I thought that was Obvious

 

[Knobhead]

Have you got your indentures of apprenticeship? If not, why not, the employer has to give a written reason for not granting them. If you have them once your apprenticeship ended you entered in to a new contract with you employer if they decided to keep you on. As newly qualified you will enter on the lowest tradesman rate.

As to call out, if they won’t pay then your not obliged to attend a break down unless it’s stipulated in your contract that you will.

Read your contract.

You say you have a van, etc, be very careful, many contracts exclude out side work. If they know about it you haven’t a leg to stand on if they want to be rid of you.

 

[Geoffsd]

frankly i believe illegally

What law are they breaking?

Constructive dismissal

 

[cloverman]

As you are an nhs employee, then you are most likely a member of the union as well ! Get them involved to help fight your corner for you ! If not a union member then I would say join one !
I have known the union fight for non-members rights when I was in the nhs so certainly worth finding out who is your union Rep and getting their advice on the matter.

In the present climate it might not be all that easy to find other work so although you may feel "put upon" I wouldn't go in guns blazing so to speak until you had secured other employment !

 

[Banjo]

I had sort of the same probelm when I come out of my time. The Company i did my time with wouldn't pay me an electricians wage as they still saw me as an aprentice.