Are all tradsemen bastards

[ozwinner]

Are all tradsemen bastards?
Well read on.

I have been doing brickwork for the same builder for about 5 years, give or take a break or two.

Anyway, the up come to the story is that they lowered their bricklaying rates with out telling me.

And here I am thinking Im getting payed $900 per 1000 bricks.
Seems a lot I know but it aint, beleive me.

So anyway, I send in the invoices and get no payment.
Hmmm? :mad:

Send a repeat of invoices.
Hmmmm, same result.:mad:

It seems those in power have deamed, that the brickies are too over paid and shall now receive only $800 per K bricks.

Soooo when were they going to tell me? :confused:

8 weeks Ive been sending the same invoices in to be paid, 8 weeks Ive been ringing the office to see whats going on.

Freakin hell. :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad:

Why was I told after I done all this ball breakin work, and not before?

Of course you cant expect the same quality of work for lesser money?

Dont ever trust a company with "Con" in their title.

Al :mad: X1Brazillion

[JDarvall]

$800 per hundred k......... how long does it take you to earn that $800 ?

Is it anymore than $25 hour ? .... cause if it is, I just don't know how I'd feel about a bloody bricklayer making more than me..... (ya winger ozwinnnnnnnnnnnner !:p )

[coastie]

He might be one of those CUB's we have ben hearing about?:D

[jow104]

But Al, have you not told us that the bricks have got larger.:D

Get out your ruler if don't beleive me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[ozwinner]

$800 per hundred k......... how long does it take you to earn that $800 ?

Is it anymore than $25 hour ? .... cause if it is, I just don't know how I'd feel about a bloody bricklayer making more than me..... (ya winger ozwinnnnnnnnnnnner !:p )

I average about 100 bricks per hour, but I have overheads. :p

And I get no super.
No holiday pay.
No sick leave.

I dont really see what the quantity I lay has to do with it.
If I layed less would you pay me more to make up for it?

Besides, how would you feel about your employer lowering your rate after you have done the work?


Al :)

[ss_11000]

but al , have you not told us the bricks got largerthen he should get more. if the bricks were smaller then he would get less.

so do you know why they didn't tell you?

[woodbe]

It's the same story all over Al,

If they're screwing you like that, they're either greedy or they're going bad. Either way, time to change your allegiances.

On the other hand, our builder has a plumber who has left open trenches on our small site for over 4 weeks. Now someone needs a kick up the backside...

woodbe.

[echnidna]

Time to move on Al,
don't work for them again,
when they ring with a job say ok
then don't turn up but keep saying you will.
if they kickup remind them of the unannounced rate cut.

[sea dragon]

Simple situation is that one party cannot change the rate without the agreement of the other.
If you did the work without the notice of their "desire" to offer less, you are entitled to the $900 rate. That continues until you are aware of their desire to offer $800. Effectively, if you chose to then do more work, you have accepted the amended rate. Until then,the old rate applied.
Turn it around. How do you think they would respond if you told them you put your rate up 2 months ago and they arenow obliged to pay you at that higher rate? Right!!! It goes both ways.

[Stuart]

If they changed the rates without notification, then I'd say they are liable to pay the rate that was agreed to ($900). Otherwise, sounds like they may have to be taken to court.

[ozwinner]

Simple situation is that one party cannot change the rate without the agreement of the other.
If you did the work without the notice of their "desire" to offer less, you are entitled to the $900 rate. That continues until you are aware of their desire to offer $800. Effectively, if you chose to then do more work, you have accepted the amended rate. Until then,the old rate applied.
Turn it around. How do you think they would respond if you told them you put your rate up 2 months ago and they arenow obliged to pay you at that higher rate? Right!!! It goes both ways.


I couldnt agree more, but getting the money from them is the problem.
They have this person on a desk that is told to pay no more than X, so its imposible to get them to pay up.

Al :(

[Harry72]

Threaten them, tell them your going too call the lawers and sue.

[jow104]

Al,
Its like being back in the old country, remember the coal mine owners reduced their rates.

[Gumby]

Al, it's not Tradesmen who are bastards. It's people in general I'm afraid.

[Groggy]

Al, from the little law I know they cannot vary the rate without discussion.

Any variation needs a minimum of an offer, acceptance and agreement, even an appearance of those three. If you've chased them for eight weeks that does not show agreement. Go to small claims or start giving them what $800 per 1000 is really worth - whose insurance is on the job quality?

[Cliff Rogers]

They have to notify you.
If they notify you & you don't respond, your problem.
If they notify you & you tell them that you don't agree, their problem.

Do you have an order from them?
Written or verbal?

I hate pricks like this & I really stick it to them.

I have one & one only invoice for $77 outstanding from January this year.
Big company, well known brand, they claim I didn't give them a 'Certificate of Currency' for my workers comp & public liability insurance so they aren't paying.
Their problem is that I have several expensive peices of their gear 'stored' somewhere til they pay up. :D
What is even better is just last weekend, they tried to log an urgent after hours call & I told them that they were on credit hold. The bloke on the phone was desparate & tried to pay by credit card & I said "Sorry, we don't take plastic." :cool: :D

[Groggy]

They have to notify you.
If they notify you & you don't respond, your problem.
If they notify you & you tell them that you don't agree, their problem.

...

I hate pricks like this & I really stick it to them.

Good advice and a great story, bastids.

[jow104]

Cliff,
Dont take plastic reminds me of another one of my stories:D

We were on an atlantic flight and running low on fuel, the captain approached the passenger in the seat in front of us who turned out to be the president of the airline. The president said I can use my credit card (we were making an emergency landing at Prestwick airfield (in the north of England) )
Fortunately the airfield accepted plastic for the additional fuel supply.

[Bleedin Thumb]

Yeh Groggys got it right but you know how it works Al, theres Sweet FA that you can really do cos its going to cost you more in legals or your own time and effort to get the difference back.:confused:
And if the con firm is a major source of your contract work its a big thing to tell them to shove it.

Make an appointment with the CEO take them to lunch and remind them how important it is that they have strategic alliances with such reliable tradespeople as yourself.
If they dont budge key their Bema..;)

[ozwinner]

Do you have an order from them?
Written or verbal?




Its a verbal from one of their senior supervisors, it goes back 12 months or more.
The problem is, if I make a fuss I will lose all the work from them.:o

And up to date they have been good to work for. ( so were Avonwood, and look what happened to them ) :eek:

Havein said that I am actively looking for other builders to work for.

Al :(

[Cliff Rogers]

Not familiar with the term... :confused:

Does that mean...
1. make a new key for it?
2. glue the keyhole up with CA?
3. use it as a keystone in an arch?

[Bleedin Thumb]

No cliff think fingernails on blackboard.

[jow104]

Al, there was a bricklayers labourer vacancy being advertised somewhere around here, so you could always apply for that one if all else fails.

[Sturdee]

Not familiar with the term... :confused:

Does that mean...
1. make a new key for it?
2. glue the keyhole up with CA?
3. use it as a keystone in an arch?

No, it means scratch with your keys their BMW.:mad: A wanton act of vandalism which might release your frustrations but could cause you more grief.:mad:


Peter.

[ozwinner]

The problem with Constuction companies is, they forget that without the tradies, they are just companies, and they cant construct anything without us.

Al :cool:

[ozwinner]

No, it means scratch with your keys their BMW.:mad: A wanton act of vandalism which might release your frustrations but could cause you more grief.:mad:


Peter.

That is the last thing I want to endorse.

If you must, get a sledgie, and beat the kcuf out of the thing, same sentance as a key, but more rewarding.

Al :D

[Cliff Rogers]

I posted a reply about 5 mins ago & the forum bounced it & now I forget what I said. :o

Damn I hate that. :rolleyes:

OK, I'll try & wing it.....

How fast can you find somewhere else to work? :D

[ozwinner]

I posted a reply about 5 mins ago & the forum bounced it & now I forget what I said. :o

Damn I hate that. :rolleyes:

OK, I'll try & wing it.....

How fast can you find somewhere else to work? :D

Yeah I had the lag to a few replies too.

How fast, maybe a week or two that I cant afford right now.
Short and curlies, short and curlies.....:mad:

Al :(

[Bleedin Thumb]

That is the last thing I want to endorse.

Al :D

I meant that off the cuff remark in the strictest metaphorical sense. I would never condone such behavior .. there are far better ways as you have alluded to Al.:D

[scooter]

I thought it was a good punchline, Bleedin :D :p

[Cliff Rogers]

Short and curlies, short and curlies.....:mad:


Ooooo.... (warning: Old fart lecture coming up) After 27 years in the same trade I always try to have something up my sleeve. wife{does she have green shoes? :cool: }, stock, etc)
One of my 'customers' pays me 2.5%/annum of the stock value to store it at my place. :D :D :D
They are very, very, very, good customers. :rolleyes: :D

[woodsprite]

This is a straight out breach of contract. A contract exists between you and them, regardless if it is written or verbal. They have breached - Small Claims Tribunal will help out. But what mongrels they are! Hope you can get it sorted soon and still keep your work with them.
Jeff

[jow104]

My wife is expressing great concern for the Australian ladies because their menfolk are staying up so late tonight.:D

[Cliff Rogers]

.... - Small Claims Tribunal will help out. But what mongrels they are! ...

In the mean time, they don't pay & Al looses work.
If you employ the services of a parasite, (sorry Pete) most of them (parasites) drag it out (I said most) so they make money too along the way.
This is the bit that really sux about being a subie. :(

[journeyman Mick]

Are things getting a bit quiet down there Al? Everybody is so busy here that the rates just keep going up. Looks like it's time to find a new builder. Either that or move to sunny North Queensland and start laying blocks instead. ;) .

Mick

[Cliff Rogers]

My wife is expressing great concern for the Australian ladies because their menfolk are staying up so late tonight.:D

It is only 5 past 11, my wife is at.... no, I am, at the other house (not dog house) tonight so there is nobody (other that your wife) to nag me. :D

PS. If I am still here at 1:42am our time, Ubeaut tells me to go to bed. :D

[Cliff Rogers]

Are ....move to sunny North Queensland and start laying blocks instead. ;) .

Mick
Can ya lay Custom Orb? (Corro) We need a new roof on the Cairns house.
I asked for a quote 7 weeks ago & I'm still waiting for anybody to show up. :rolleyes:

[ozwinner]

Are things getting a bit quiet down there Al? Everybody is so busy here that the rates just keep going up. Looks like it's time to find a new builder. Either that or move to sunny North Queensland and start laying blocks instead. ;) .

Mick

As far as Im aware Mick there is heaps of work here for brickies, I beleive a lot have gone West from Melbourne to chase the big money.

I went to sunny FNQ once, no thanks, its too freakin sunny, and humid too. :(


Al :)

[Bleedin Thumb]

Hear theres plenty of work on the Gold Coast.
All you need is a pair of white loafers some bling around the neck and a mambo shirt and they wouldn't even know your a Mexican.:cool:

[Skew ChiDAMN!!]

Remember the ads for brickies from not long ago?

"You won't believe the pay."

Finally some truth in advertising, even though it doesn't mean what you think at first...

[Wood Borer]

Sorry to hear your story Al.

We keep hearing more and more about these corporates who make the majority of people suffer and become angry.

Unfortunately the law looks after these people when they don't pay their taxes, when they take our jobs away, when they catch us out on the fine print, pollute the environment......

Australia is meant to be fighting a war against terrorism and we have been told to be on the alert for "the enemy within".

What's the terrorist hotline number?

[jow104]

I have another story to relate re this type of pay problem.

I was approaching retirement and was working self employed as an agent for a company that supplied furniture covers and curtains, the agency which I had held for over 7 years and the commission I received on orders was 20%.
However the management thought they would reduce all commissions down to 15% thereby they thought sales would increase so that we compensated for the income loss.

However I was approaching retirement (perhaps you are Al) and I was able to survive for a further 3 years at the lesser commission and not having to work longer to maintain my income. So perhaps you could somehow see a way to gaining an advantage for yourself and the bastard loose out on his action.

[echnidna]

Don't mess around with an unexpected 25% paycut.
Just don't do any more work for them.

[ozwinner]

Ive got a few leads for work that I will ring tomorrow.

I wonder how many tradies they will lose from this?

Like Henley Builders from years ago, they screwed their tradies, now no one will touch them, they went from being the top builder in Vic to shyte in one easy lesson, owwh and the reports on the tele didnt help them either, all brought about from screwing the tradies, screw the tradies and the quality suffers, it has to, you cant do the same job quality wise for less money. :mad:

All we wont to do is make a decent living from our hard yakka. :(

Al :)

[Auld Bassoon]

Mate, I've been readimg this thread, and I must say that it seems you have been wronged, but fighting a large(er) corporate will only chew up funds in legal fees.

Have you had a chance to speak, personally, with a senior manager of the building firm? If you haven't, I'd suggest it's worth a go, just to explain your position, and maybe work out deal. Invite him/her to a site and show him/her what you do, and why you're worth your rates.

[ernknot]

Al,
Isn't there some form of arbritation available where you don't have to front a beak? Maybe get in touch with legal aid and they may be able to refer you.

[ozwinner]

Have you had a chance to speak, personally, with a senior manager of the building firm? If you haven't, I'd suggest it's worth a go, just to explain your position, and maybe work out deal. Invite him/her to a site and show him/her what you do, and why you're worth your rates.

Yes, it was the building manager who told me I should have been told that the rates were lowered.

They are all crooks, they get paid every week, so whats the problem?

Al :mad:

[ian]

I couldnt agree more, but getting the money from them is the problem.
They have this person on a desk that is told to pay no more than X, so its imposible to get them to pay up.

Al :(Al
investigate issuing an order to wind up the company because it can not pay its debts. If they can't pay you the director's are trading while insolvent a big no no.

Last time I heard of wind-up action being taken to recover payment it was by someone like you who took on one of Sydney's TV stations. The TV station promptly paid up, and the cost was something like <$200 which was also receovered.

$900 per '000 seems reasonable, I've heard of costs as high as $2/brick.
It's supply and demand, offering $800/'000 implies that the building industry has slowed down and other brickies are looking for work.


ian

[jedi]

Dude, are you telling me you earn $800 a day, less overheads?
What overheads do you have???!!! Pay a labourer $150 per day, a hand full of tools and a mixer and barrow, that's it!

I earn $14.29 per hour as a Cabinet maker. building the highest quality furniture for very rich Interior Designers on the Goldie. Come on buddy, most of us here just earn a modest wage.

[echnidna]

Sounds like a lot, but is it? - Not at all if you think about it.

If it rains - a bricky no can work
then theres real windy weather or in the sun in summer

Most brickies pack it in early in life as its heavy hard work

[ian]

Jedi
you can't compare wages with contract work.
while you're being paid $14.29/hr your employer is putting aside
9% for super,
~9% for annual leave
~8% for public holidays and sick days
~6% for worker's comp
~5% for state taxes
and probably some others I've forgotten
and not to forget the 10% GST on the lot
so if you get $14/hr it costs your employer at least $21

Ozwinner has to cover his own sick leave, injury insurance, holidays, slow times, pay his off sider including all the extra costs like your employer pays you, pay an accountant to do his tax, etc and, depending on who he contracts to, even the bricks and mortar.
If an employee makes a mistake and have to redo something they get paid, contractors don't.


ian

[bsrlee]

Think they might get upset if you went around and 'repossesed' the work you have done?

[Wongo]

I can do it for 50c per brick if you like the rustic look.:D

[Harry72]

Tis sad how a cabinet maker only gets barely $15p/h, considering they charge an average of $15K for a decent kitchen.
Even with adding up all the overheads $21p/h aint that flash either... considering an factory shiftworker gets around 20~25 p/h without adding the overheads!

[tameriska]

Dude, are you telling me you earn $800 a day, less overheads?
What overheads do you have???!!! Pay a labourer $150 per day, a hand full of tools and a mixer and barrow, that's it!

I earn $14.29 per hour as a Cabinet maker. building the highest quality furniture for very rich Interior Designers on the Goldie. Come on buddy, most of us here just earn a modest wage.

$14.29 an hour? That sucks, being a checkout chick is about the same p/h rate:(.

[journeyman Mick]

I can do it for 50c per brick if you like the rustic look.:D

Is that the rustic look, or the archealogical ruins look? :p


Jedi,
as others have pointed out you can't compare wages with self employment or contracting rates. If you started your own cabinet shop would you still work for $14.29 p/h? I don't think so;)

Mick

[ian]

Jedi,
as others have pointed out you can't compare wages with self employment or contracting rates. If you started your own cabinet shop would you still work for $14.29 p/h? I don't think so;)

MickJedi
as a rough calculation, to get about $14.30 per hour in their pocket, a contractor has to charge about $32/hr

ian

[Skew ChiDAMN!!]

Damn you lot! :(

Reading this, I just had to sit down and work out my average hourly rate for the last 3 months and... ~$8ph! :eek: Worse, this isn't including travel time/expenses, etc., etc. Just as well I love my work, else I'd have nasty words with the boss! And they tell me it's not a good sign when you argue with yourself. :p

Mind you, once the weather clears up and silly season starts, it more than makes up for the lean times. [phew!] Just another week or three... [fingers Xed]

[jow104]

I notice there are a lot of BMW's, Audi's, Mercs and 4x4 around these days,
So,
What hourly rate do you need to buy and run one of those?

[Schtoo]

As much as I dislike to say this Jedi, you have no &%$^$ idea.

You are working in a reasonably clean place, that doesn't move about, is always open and working, etc, etc.

On site, it's clean sometimes. More often than not yer up to your asre in mud, covered in crud, baking or freezing, etc, etc.

It's always moving about. One week, wake up at 5:30 or so and get going for the 60 minute drive on the other side of town to start at 7. Next week, up at 6:30 to drive the 5 minutes just down the road. Not mentioning the 10 hours saturdays and sundays nor the odd 4 am start.

It rains, woopee, you get to go home so you can rest up because you have to haul tail to get the job that shoulda been done yesterday tomorrow, because it's ^%$%$ raining today.

Something needs to get done, and it's 40+ outside, stiff cheese, you still get to do it because it needs to be done now.

Oh yes, the per hour rate is very good on site. You think anyone would be so &%$%$^% stoopid to do it for any less by choice?

And that's just a sample of how much fun working on site can be.


Kinda wish I was still at it occasionally.

Instead, I get to drink coffee, speak BS, play with kids and get paid for it at a ridiculous hourly rate.


Al, I have no advise I can give ya that I can claim works other than find someone else to work for and give those dimwits the flick ASAP.

Otherwise, you might wind up like one of the painters we used to work for. Still can't work out how he got by after losing $750,000 when the builder went under.

I can't work out how the heck you can throw that much worth of paint on the wall in such a short time that you don't decide to call in the dogs... :rolleyes:

[Wild Dingo]

Totally agree Schoo... Jedi you dont have a freekin clue of what your talking about!

Working on site can be the absolute pits... here temps in summer range and fluctuate between 30 and 42C in the shade thats when the brickies work best... when its winter 9 days out of 10 the buggars dont work cause... its too friggin wet! but Ive experienced the results of a brickie workin in the rain so they do it... then theres the sporodic spring and autumn weather to cope with... the travel the hours etc etc

I got smart and got out years ago but I wont ever forget how friggin hard backbreakin that work was and how I earnt every friggin centablo I was paid

I got out and got into a "profession" that paid exceptionally well gave me much time at home with the kids and missus and was great... then I got out of that for other reasons related to stress... now I work for an hourly rate travel away from home 2 weeks on 1 week off have a plan that Im workin to and will stop in exactly 4 years and 3 months having paid of our home loan and invested... I am now paid about double what I was in either the trades or as a "professional" without the stress worry days off without pay insurance etc etc AND... am loving it! :cool: See I think we go through cycles of our working life I think we should all assess re-assess and consider changing career paths if we find it untenable in the present one... $14 per hour? I wont even get out of bloody bed for $14 an hour! mind you I also wont raise my head of the pillow for 800 per thou bricks either! I love my mine job!! its just sooooooo easy! ;)

ahem... sorry got sidetracked!!

Now I reckon the question asked is wrongly worded... its not the tradie contractor whos a bastard but the bloody company jonnies that are turds those shyteheads who sit in aircon offices in white shirts and ties takin the orders and talkin the business up that are the bastards those dipsticks that probably havent worked a damned day on a site in their friggin lives get the 6 figure income and dont give a flyin purple rats buttock cheek about the blokes on the site workin to keep the business working so that dipstick can get his friggin white shirt tie bmw AND 6 figure income! :mad:


Are all tradesmen bastards?

No... some definantly are some absolutely have no bloody idea what work is about let alone good quality work but some are genuine good blokes eckin out a crust with their hands and are proud of their work do a good job and stand by their work... but Ive had my issues with so called tradesmen over the years and some I wouldnt give a phart to let alone pay them money for the shoddy "work" they do... but Id say most are of the type who do work hard and do a good job

Are business people management and psydo management people bastards

Yes... most are and wouldnt have a friggin clue! and dont give a damn either way!... the bottom line the $$ is what interests them and if they see a way of lowering their outgoing and increasing the incoming they will use it!! regardless!!

What can you do about the situation you find yourself in? well... legally Id recommend you go see a lawyer that deals in this sorta thing and get some advice!... second get out and find some more work! Does the brickie trade still work mostly by word of mouth? been a fair while (lets say 20+ years since I was in the trade) Your work and your word should be out there already just a matter of knockin on some doors :cool:

Look mate... I dont know about Queensland sunny or otherwise but mate if you head over here theres friggin gold in them thar bricks!!! MAN!! Were screamin LITERALLY screaming for brickies chippies and other tradies here in the West... get your ass over here for a couple of years make some serious money then head home if you still want... not guarenteed of course that you will want to return to Victoria but hey make some good money while the sun shines on the industry over here and while your body still can!

All the best with it mate

Cheers

[silentC]

Give Naomi Robson a call. I hear she's looking for a good story at the moment...

[Wood Borer]

Give Naomi Robson a call. I hear she's looking for a good story at the moment...

And it won't require any visas but are there any 5 star hotels near the Craporium for her to stay in whilst filming the documentary?

[Bleedin Thumb]

Jedi
as a rough calculation, to get about $14.30 per hour in their pocket, a contractor has to charge about $32/hr

ian

I would think its a lot more than that. With the calculations done previously no ones taken into account book keeping and accountants fees. and all the other leeches that have you constantly with your hand in your pocket.

[ozwinner]

Give Naomi Robson a call. I hear she's looking for a good story at the moment...


Awwh crap, I hope this building mob dont intend on eating me too..

Al :eek:

[jedi]

Waauugghh!! Chill out chewbakkas, just asked a question.

For the record dudes, I do know a thing or two. I have worked on site before
many times as a carpenter and a BRICKLAYER ! Yes a bricklayer. (Notice I didn't swear...wow what control).

Guess where I worked as a carpenter and bricklayer........in Tassie!!!!!!
You want cold wet muddy weather??? good place for it ehh??

Agh! assumption is the mother of all F#%* ups. (Opps)!

[ian]

I have worked on site before
many times as a carpenter and a BRICKLAYER ! Yes a bricklayer. (Notice I didn't swear...wow what control).

Guess where I worked as a carpenter and bricklayer........in Tassie!!!!!!
You want cold wet muddy weather??? good place for it ehh??that's why you moved to Brisvegas?

[Wood Butcher]

Jedi
as a rough calculation, to get about $14.30 per hour in their pocket, a contractor has to charge about $32/hr

ian

I used to manage a wood machining workshop with my dad. We used to work on that production had to be 5 times everyones combined wages to make a profit. I got $19.87 per hour (award wage) so I had to produce at least $100 of saleable goods per hour, the oher bloke had to do $75 per hour and so on.

I know it sounds high, but this covered material costs, power, superannuation etc and a bit for those days when we had no work and had to spend the time cleaning/maintainence on the machines.

[jedi]

that's why you moved to Brisvegas?

Moved to the Gold Coast to get some good weather and... Hang on!

IT'S BLOODY RAINING OUTSIDE!!!

Oh crap!

[Terry1]

I don't think anyone ever gets particulary well off by to-days standards doing tradework(brickwork in particuliar)I've been a bricklayer for thirty seven years and have worked for myself since 1974.We have always had a decent standard of living and have brought up 3 kids but it often took a fair bit of getting

I've seen lots of quite times where I"ve had to go on the road and try to pick up a quid wherever I could.Sometimes this would be in the cities (Sydney,Melbourne,Brisbane,Canberra etc,etc,)and also all througout the bush areas.We have no security of payment,no conditions,never any accomodation paid,which would sometimes take about a third of your income in the city areas and often worked with blokes who didn't like the fact that "blowins"had come into their area.

And when things were quite everywhere you just had to "meet the market"and work for rubbish wages to keep going.As everyone who is a "fair dinkum"subbie knows the building trade can be a tough one to survive in but I still enjoy it (must be addictive Al)The way that most tradesmen around my area get ahead is by building and selling their family homes every few years.Me and my son do a couple of 'spec"homes each year these days and get just as much out of these as we do from sub-contract bricklaying.

Back to your problem Al,why don't you get the $800 per 1000 from that mob and then fight over the balance?Or have you already done that? Ive just come back from Perth and even though the place is very busy they seem to be coping with the workload and the prices are not much better then they are over here.
My son and I went over there to help my nephew set up his bricklaying business and he has lots of work but as I said,not getting much more than us.But he will do better because of the nature of the work(solid brick jobs with common bricks inside and often outside)

Not sure if it is a carpenters paradise either as they are still cutting out and "pitching"all their roofs and of course with solid brick the fix-outs are a bit more time consuming (fixing skirtings,architraves,etc)Also, all the houses are rendered and then they "float and set" or you might call it "white set"all the interior walls which is quite a job also and they were cheaper than renderers in Wagga so even though there is heaps of work I don't think gangs of two subbies (and most of them seem to be set up that way)would be making a fortune.Of course the developers are making a killing with the land prices etc.But thats another story.

Anyway Al,
hope you sort out your problem (most probably by leaving)and get your money.Good luck Terry.

[Rossluck]

Now I reckon the question asked is wrongly worded... its not the tradie contractor whos a bastard but the bloody company jonnies that are turds those shyteheads who sit in aircon offices in white shirts and ties takin the orders and talkin the business up that are the bastards those dipsticks that probably havent worked a damned day on a site in their friggin lives get the 6 figure income and dont give a flyin purple rats buttock cheek about the blokes on the site workin to keep the business working so that dipstick can get his friggin white shirt tie bmw AND 6 figure income! :mad:


Cheers

Well said. :D