Is this country knackered

[Marvo]

Only reason its nackered is.... too many unqualified sparks being aloud to work on premises and also no money in the pockets of those needing upgrades etc.

I think the agencies must be filling a gap in the market that was left open by your traditional sparky. People use agencies for the same reason people buy burgers at macdonalds. It's a combination of convenience, consistency and accountability. They know that the guy they get will be qualified, they know he'll do a half decent job at least and they know that if he doesn't they have recourse through a big company (agency) with a code of conduct sympathetic to the consumer.

 

[bk81]

I know it's tough. I quit being a sole trader beacuse a couple of builders didn't pay me and I was dodging the wholeslaers in turn and was close to bankruptcy, but, I got a job with an agency in Edinburgh for £11ph doing a 4 hour commute each day to pay off the wholesalers. Then the company the agency were supplying went under and, luckily, managed to get an interview with Amey and got that job, basic SJIB rate.

4 years down the line I work for Eaton with a decent wage and as much overtime as I can do. I know I've been lucky, but I brass necked it a lot to get the job I'm in. Plus the self employed experience looks great on the cv too!

The only downside is it's hard to bite your tongue when you don't agree with your boss, but I can live with that, lol.

I realise that might sound a bit smug, all I'm saying is you never know what it's going to be like in a few years time, and if you're unhappy, do something about it, there's always a way out...

 

[ecclescake]

we just had this bloody census. why didn't they do as when jesus was born. everbody back to their place of birth.

It would be back to sunny saltcoats for me less work there than down here.

 

[20al]

Far too many poles, latvians, lithuainains etc and now the irish economy is up the creek we have loads of irish tradesmen.Now I have nothing against any of these people but surely we need a system that allows us to repatriate these groups of workers when the number of unemployed reaches a certain level.Rumours of large numbers of foreign tradesmen working on the olympic sites and well qualified eastern europeans willing to take low paid jobs that could be taken up by youngsters leaving school.labour have a lot to answer for.bring back maggie.

bring back maggie ? never. I for one will celebrate when that bitch dies ! check out the late great Peter Postlewait in the film Brassed Off. quote - that woman and her government did more damagee to industrial Britain than hitler and his bombers could ever do !

 

[20al]

I think the agencies must be filling a gap in the market that was left open by your traditional sparky. People use agencies for the same reason people buy burgers at macdonalds. It's a combination of convenience, consistency and accountability. They know that the guy they get will be qualified, they know he'll do a half decent job at least and they know that if he doesn't they have recourse through a big company (agency) with a code of conduct sympathetic to the consumer.

No,no ,no ! agencies should only be used for short term temp work, instead they are used by companies on all jobs to drive down wages and deny workers basic rights, a bit like the blacks working in diamond mines in S Africa !
Things you will never hear an electrician say -" ive just landed a job cards in with a JIB co paying the national agreed rates !

 

[flyingsausage]

No,no ,no ! agencies should only be used for short term temp work, instead they are used by companies on all jobs to drive down wages and deny workers basic rights, a bit like the blacks working in diamond mines in S Africa !
Things you will never hear an electrician say -" ive just landed a job cards in with a JIB co paying the national agreed rates !

Agencies should only be used for short term temp work but they are being used for supplying labour on long term jobs now.I got told of a spark who has been working for the same company through the same agency full time for seven years,I thought it was a wind up but I spoke to the man myself and it was true.
Aonother thing with agency work is when it comes to the end of the year you get pumped a month before Christmas with no holiday pay and it could be another four months before you get another start under the rate again.

 

[Marvo]

I think the agencies must be filling a gap in the market that was left open by your traditional sparky. People use agencies for the same reason people buy burgers at macdonalds. It's a combination of convenience, consistency and accountability. They know that the guy they get will be qualified, they know he'll do a half decent job at least and they know that if he doesn't they have recourse through a big company (agency) with a code of conduct sympathetic to the consumer.

No,no ,no ! agencies should only be used for short term temp work, instead they are used by companies on all jobs to drive down wages and deny workers basic rights, a bit like the blacks working in diamond mines in S Africa !
Things you will never hear an electrician say -" ive just landed a job cards in with a JIB co paying the national agreed rates !

Sorry I think I have misunderstood about the function of the agencies being discussed.