rates of Pay down in %

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plasterjfe

plasterjfe

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just spotted an industry news reel from a recent survey about tradesmans wages and how they go backwards in a recession. seems the plasterers are worse hit than others such as sparks plumbers etc which is my guess too. its all down to the fact operate in a freemarket. no fixed rates per job/task - no trade union like the plumbers and sparks have to fight our corner. look at the figures:-
brickies pay down 8.58% civils pay down 7.52% electricians pay down 3.98% plumbers pay is up in some regions and Plasterers pay down by a huge 38.64%!
 
can we not do something about it then? if them thick f**k**s can look after each other then so can we.
 
I posted before about the problems of working in a freetrade market we will always get sh1t on in a recession, unless we all stick to a pricing structure database of some sort there is little we can do, there will always be someone willing to undercut to get the work and so, lessen the value of the job. Not like a plumbing firm etc where most quotes for a paticular task will be near the same. its funny how the two trades with the better known backing/union bodies have seen their pay affected least
 
Problem is that there are so many plastering courses out there that the market is getting flooded with lots of plasterers......this was ok for domestic market work when england was booming, but in a recession everyones trying to compete with each other and thus dropping prices to get jobs..( in my little hick town there are 4 such plasterers who have taken the same course ..not including me)...this is more so than say most trades as most trades havn't got these high turnover courses to the extent of plastering. Its a simple equation of damand and supply......at the moment demand is low ....but problem is supply ie number of domestic plasterers is high....thus price comes down. s**t but true.
 
it was a banner from a survey that monitors the industry i read it from one of my subscriptions either contract journal or construction journal, this months.
 
newcomer, and your first post is about prices, simplys gonna be happy when he reads this later!
 
skrim is free pal. depends where you are but remember this data is measured largely from the construction industry not domestic house tidying. I saw an average skim price fall from 3.00/M2 to 2.00/m2 on site so the data aint far off
 
2 week ago i was refitting out mens and women toilets in the centre of town,when i removed the tiles from walls it became apparent the ceilings were in worse shape than anticipated so needed boarding skimming etc,mentioned to the owner and he said lets put new lights in as well halogens and while were at it lets get new extractors too which werent planned.So called my sparks said hes to busy for a week,tried 5-6 others on the 7th i got one thatg came out after 3 days.
My point being if i wanted a plasterer id get one there in 3 hours ready to work, anyone can skim now days (or thinks he can ) where the other trades like plumbing sparks are more involved.and being as skimming is what is most wanted were fu c k e d if thats all wwe can do !!!
 
Plastering imo is semi skilled, skimming takes 6 weeks to get to a good standard with a helpful tutor. Don't get me wrong i'm a plasterer too, a good one aswell.
 
McPlaster said:
Plastering imo is semi skilled, skimming takes 6 weeks to get to a good standard with a helpful tutor. Don't get me wrong i'm a plasterer too, a good one aswell.
Click to expand...

6 week to become a good standard plasterer :D :D :D who you kiddin. takes most labs that to get a good standard in mixing
 
the good spreads are always tied up arent they?........i'd join a union deffo ive been killing myself for daywork money for the last few months pre christmas something is wrong if youre good not eating working 12 hours a day and earning 120 a day its 10 per hour ..............plus fuel etc and doing some c**t a good job which you dont see any benefit of cause you did it >:(
 
McPlaster said:
Plastering imo is semi skilled, skimming takes 6 weeks to get to a good standard with a helpful tutor. Don't get me wrong i'm a plasterer too, a good one aswell.
Click to expand...

more like 6 months will make you a good skimmer with a good tutor, take a look at the likes of essexandys website some of the rendering on there isnt semi skilled
 
Went to look at a job this evening reskim two kitchen ceilings with a beam in between then re-cove each ceiling he was waitin on a price off a spark for downlights 7 in total, said it would take him 2 days hahahahahaha said i would include them aswell in my price he can supply his own lights.............it will take me a couple of hours to do the lights and before any one mentions it im not part P but i dont care ive got the gold ;) sparks takin the piss.
 
In general plastering as we now call it is simps (No pun). To put into perspective, when the plastering game was predominently backing coat and skim you needed a fit young fella to help you complete the task. The way your local quantity surveyor sees it now is, the tossers should be able to mix it thereselves and make a wage, after all it's only skimming, i agree with them. The problem is now we have created a semi skilled enviroment because some guys can only skim, some only tack the others only stick boards to walls. We used to like tacking cause it was an easy couple of days work, when amongst this speacialised conundrum does a young man with intent learn to be a real plasterer who can complete a project from top to tail, screed and cove. ;). Staying on subject good rates are easier to obtain when veratile.
 
Plastering is one of the most physical jobs in the trade yet we are now earning less. plumbers and electritions are getting more dosh because of the training and certificates they have or have to have. This seems to stop the eastern europeons from nicking there work and instead taking the work from plasterers,carpenters and painters. I have seen people on site who use to work in an office and now they are plasterers. But being able to skim to a standard does not make a plasterer.
 
napper83 said:
McPlaster said:
Plastering imo is semi skilled, skimming takes 6 weeks to get to a good standard with a helpful tutor. Don't get me wrong i'm a plasterer too, a good one aswell.
Click to expand...

more like 6 months will make you a good skimmer with a good tutor, take a look at the likes of essexandys website some of the rendering on there isnt semi skilled
Click to expand...

Thanks Napper very nice of you to say so, I think part of the reason others don't regard us as highly skilled is because we do have to work physically hard and we also get dirty when doing so (easy Spunky), when was the last time you saw an electrician or plumber racing around with sweat dripping of their brow and covered in the material they were supposed to know how to use. I don't know how a union would or could work in our trade but if there is some legal way of getting the majority of spreads around the country to stick to minimum prices it could only be for the good of all, if the government could come up with some sort of card that stated what you could do and how good you were at doing it and made sure that the card only went to those that really deserved it that would help also.
 
A mate of mine is a decorator,quality work on big houses and commercial buildings worth a lot of money decorating,not one coat emulsion by anymeans.
He always had work and earnt a decent living,he regulary passed skimming work to me and i often helped him on painting jobs he had no time for etc etc.2 month ago he asked me (practically begged me to be honest) if i could teach him to skim.
Hes been with me on half a dozen occasions now watching + mixing while i talk him through the method.I gave him a few goes at first coating small walls then second coating.And let him have ago at flattening and polishing when i got it square.
Amyhow today i went to see him at home and noticed his hall way lounge and kitchen had been reskimmed.And to be fair apart from the hallway and around pipes plug aquard areas the finnish was good,actually better than some plasterers work ive seen.
Wants to learn boarding now ffs !!
 
essexandy said:
napper83 said:
McPlaster said:
Plastering imo is semi skilled, skimming takes 6 weeks to get to a good standard with a helpful tutor. Don't get me wrong i'm a plasterer too, a good one aswell.
Click to expand...

more like 6 months will make you a good skimmer with a good tutor, take a look at the likes of essexandys website some of the rendering on there isnt semi skilled
Click to expand...

Thanks Napper very nice of you to say so, I think part of the reason others don't regard us as highly skilled is because we do have to work physically hard and we also get dirty when doing so (easy Spunky), when was the last time you saw an electrician or plumber racing around with sweat dripping of their brow and covered in the material they were supposed to know how to use. I don't know how a union would or could work in our trade but if there is some legal way of getting the majority of spreads around the country to stick to minimum prices it could only be for the good of all, if the government could come up with some sort of card that stated what you could do and how good you were at doing it and made sure that the card only went to those that really deserved it that would help also.
Click to expand...

A card you say? That says what you are qualified to do? Maybe different colours for different levels of skill? A card where the customer could read and maybe make a call to see if you are what you say you are? Maybe a card with your picture on it to prove to potential customers you are who you say you are? Maybe such a card could also incorporate a Health and Safety test..........hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm na cant see a card ever coming out like that it would cause uproar, i mean what would all the cowboys and unqualified tradesmen do?
 
it would be good if it had a realistic level of assessment , and if they charged for it could be another revenue for the gov eh?
 
flynnyman said:
essexandy said:
napper83 said:
McPlaster said:
Plastering imo is semi skilled, skimming takes 6 weeks to get to a good standard with a helpful tutor. Don't get me wrong i'm a plasterer too, a good one aswell.
Click to expand...

more like 6 months will make you a good skimmer with a good tutor, take a look at the likes of essexandys website some of the rendering on there isnt semi skilled
Click to expand...

Thanks Napper very nice of you to say so, I think part of the reason others don't regard us as highly skilled is because we do have to work physically hard and we also get dirty when doing so (easy Spunky), when was the last time you saw an electrician or plumber racing around with sweat dripping of their brow and covered in the material they were supposed to know how to use. I don't know how a union would or could work in our trade but if there is some legal way of getting the majority of spreads around the country to stick to minimum prices it could only be for the good of all, if the government could come up with some sort of card that stated what you could do and how good you were at doing it and made sure that the card only went to those that really deserved it that would help also.
Click to expand...

A card you say? That says what you are qualified to do? Maybe different colours for different levels of skill? A card where the customer could read and maybe make a call to see if you are what you say you are? Maybe a card with your picture on it to prove to potential customers you are who you say you are? Maybe such a card could also incorporate a Health and Safety test..........hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm na cant see a card ever coming out like that it would cause uproar, i mean what would all the cowboys and unqualified tradesmen do?
Click to expand...

The difference between the CSCS card and what I suggested is that I said it should only go to those that deserve it.
 
essexandy said:
flynnyman said:
essexandy said:
napper83 said:
McPlaster said:
Plastering imo is semi skilled, skimming takes 6 weeks to get to a good standard with a helpful tutor. Don't get me wrong i'm a plasterer too, a good one aswell.
Click to expand...

more like 6 months will make you a good skimmer with a good tutor, take a look at the likes of essexandys website some of the rendering on there isnt semi skilled
Click to expand...

Thanks Napper very nice of you to say so, I think part of the reason others don't regard us as highly skilled is because we do have to work physically hard and we also get dirty when doing so (easy Spunky), when was the last time you saw an electrician or plumber racing around with sweat dripping of their brow and covered in the material they were supposed to know how to use. I don't know how a union would or could work in our trade but if there is some legal way of getting the majority of spreads around the country to stick to minimum prices it could only be for the good of all, if the government could come up with some sort of card that stated what you could do and how good you were at doing it and made sure that the card only went to those that really deserved it that would help also.
Click to expand...

A card you say? That says what you are qualified to do? Maybe different colours for different levels of skill? A card where the customer could read and maybe make a call to see if you are what you say you are? Maybe a card with your picture on it to prove to potential customers you are who you say you are? Maybe such a card could also incorporate a Health and Safety test..........hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm na cant see a card ever coming out like that it would cause uproar, i mean what would all the cowboys and unqualified tradesmen do?
Click to expand...

The difference between the CSCS card and what I suggested is that I said it should only go to those that deserve it.
Click to expand...

ooooooooooooooooh yeh the CSCS card haaaaaaaaaaa now i get it, yeh great idea but i suppose some will get under the net but not a lot.
 
problem is that there are no apprenticeships these days, and the ones that are about they wanna pay you peanuts after you've served your time. its understandable with the way things are at the moment but like many people have said you have to spend money to make money, so why not spend money on skilled people up. surely this is something the government should be looking at rather than bringing in unskilled workers form other countries! then again keep em coming cos sorting there crap out is what keeps me going at the minute.
 
good point about qual cards (not cscs as we all know even dangerous dave has one of these and every other chancer) but it brings us back to the other trades - plumber joe with one flash of his corgi registration card and the 2grand is as good as his, now for a quick trip to the scrapper with all his old copper....
 
plasterjfe said:
good point about qual cards (not cscs as we all know even dangerous dave has one of these and every other chancer) but it brings us back to the other trades - plumber joe with one flash of his corgi registration card and the 2grand is as good as his, now for a quick trip to the scrapper with all his old copper....
Click to expand...

Have you got one?
 
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