Man Hours for Certain Jobs?

[evand]

Electrical and plumbing are both huge areas with many different styles of work and only a small % would be putting their hands in a sewer or climbing in roofs.

The typical tradie tho will get off the tools at some stage and either manage his own or someone else's business.

Oone of the great benefits of the job is being fit. When i was on the tools i was so fit and nimble, i had serious abs. no need to go the gym or exercise at all. My job kept me in shape.

These days with a more sedentary lifestyle i have to swim and watch what i eat/drink or i'll blow out. I've already lost most of the actual fitness and flexibility i used to have.

If your chippie has back problems at 29, he either had a pre existing problem or is a bit umm silly. Its pretty easy to take care of your self for much longer than that. Especially these days with strict OHS etc. He'd be in the very small % at that age with problems. Humans are designed for physical activity, not sitting at a desk all day in A/C.

i think it is the other way around. only in australia - they are deemed like "5 star" profession. in other parts of the world - being a trade are mainly for people who did not do well at school. Being in the corporate world is very different as opposed to being on a building job site.

log a job on service central and seeking central for chippies and handyman and you will quickly find out how many of them are desperate for work.

not sure what is so great being a plumber and dealing literally with **** everyday or climbing through a roof to do cabling etc. One of my chippies has got basically back problems at 29 years old after going hard everyday and now can't work - so how is he going to supplement his lost income? that is what you gain just going at it.

unless the trade has a business mindset which he would have learned from getting some schooling like my electrician who finished year 12 and did some tafe courses. recently he has just scored a 300 homes contract. as for ppl who stay in offices - yeah you may be right but the biggest apartment developer in melbourne of more than 70 towers was originally 3 guys - an accountant, a schoolteacher and a banker.

in my opinion being a trade ain't a glamarous job and it has many risks as it depends on a projects or jobs coming in. work smart not work hard.

 

[willair]

i think it is the other way around. only in australia - they are deemed like "5 star" profession. in other parts of the world - being a trade are mainly for people who did not do well at school. Being in the corporate world is very different as opposed to being on a building job site.

The only good part about small business trades up to 5-10 people is there is no need for any middle management,everyone works or you don't come back monday..

 

[Melbournian]

majority of trades work for themselves well the ones i have encountered. and you would have to go through that anyway as an apprentice before being able to do work on your own and also get off the tools. Say give or take 5-8 years before you are able to go out on your own?

to say leave school at year 10 and get a job as a trade as opposed to working in a professional job is somewhat naive. there are structural engineers that charge $500 for a report that is 30 min job and specialized doctors. It's not abt what job itself - a cook on an oil rig could get 200K a year.

i'm just saying not everyone aspires to be a trade. even an electrician on masterchef decided to be a cook. but go figure one of the posters who is trade doesn't even know what a PPOR is.

yes exercise is important but you can easily accomplish this by walking, swimming or doing other more leisure activities like playing sport, footy, basketball etc.

the chippie with back issues isn't the only one i have encountered. there have been many others. irrespective - i have gotten the newly greek migrants to demolish a deck for me for $40 per hour for 3 guys.

look even the richest women in the world is getting migrant workers from china to work at cheaper rates in perth, why can't i?

 

[Melbournian]

the only good part about small business trades up to 5-10 people is there is no need for any middle management,everyone works or you don't come back monday..

lol........

 

[evand]

I dont get what point you are making with all this.

majority of trades work for themselves well the ones i have encountered. and you would have to go through that anyway as an apprentice before being able to do work on your own and also get off the tools. Say give or take 5-8 years before you are able to go out on your own?

to say leave school at year 10 and get a job as a trade as opposed to working in a professional job is somewhat naive. there are structural engineers that charge $500 for a report that is 30 min job and specialized doctors. It's not abt what job itself - a cook on an oil rig could get 200K a year.

i'm just saying not everyone aspires to be a trade. even an electrician on masterchef decided to be a cook. but go figure one of the posters who is trade doesn't even know what a PPOR is.

yes exercise is important but you can easily accomplish this by walking, swimming or doing other more leisure activities like playing sport, footy, basketball etc.

the chippie with back issues isn't the only one i have encountered. there have been many others. irrespective - i have gotten the newly greek migrants to demolish a deck for me for $40 per hour for 3 guys.

look even the richest women in the world is getting migrant workers from china to work at cheaper rates in perth, why can't i?

 

[Melbournian]

Electrical and plumbing are both huge areas with many different styles of work and only a small % would be putting their hands in a sewer or climbing in roofs.

The typical tradie tho will get off the tools at some stage and either manage his own or someone else's business.

Oone of the great benefits of the job is being fit. When i was on the tools i was so fit and nimble, i had serious abs. no need to go the gym or exercise at all. My job kept me in shape.

These days with a more sedentary lifestyle i have to swim and watch what i eat/drink or i'll blow out. I've already lost most of the actual fitness and flexibility i used to have.

If your chippie has back problems at 29, he either had a pre existing problem or is a bit umm silly. Its pretty easy to take care of your self for much longer than that. Especially these days with strict OHS etc. He'd be in the very small % at that age with problems. Humans are designed for physical activity, not sitting at a desk all day in A/C.

LOL same here - don't get the point. let's just carry on to make money our own way.

 

[The Fence]

I dont get what point you are making with all this.

Tit for tap he is disagreeing with you Ev....however, this thread seems to be bringing you & me together ....I agree with your post having been a trade for most of my working time and in the heavy going, fencing, landscaping construction for the majority and no need for gym fees/attendance. The work is hard, but your buddies are with you and you sleep like a baby every night!

My wife wanted to help one day while on the shovel, she lasted one minute flat and declared....
" ...geeeze, with the amount you drink and this work you do, it's no wonder you dont have a pot gut...!"

I might add toEv's post and say that it was (still is) an absolute pleasure working in the trade(s), outside taking in a different location from time to time, some days are just so nice weatherwise (most really) that you just thank god you are not indoors sitting at a desk breathing stale air.
Some days so nice in fact you scarper from site, grab the surfboard or fishing rod and just have a great day. Yeah the work will get done tomorrow, no worries.

The on site banter is also a pleasure to be a part of as well. Gotta have thick skin...!
And the final treat, the session at "the office" anywhere after 3.30pm (we worked harder than you Ev...)

So maybe JWR might have a chance of success if he keeps to that earlier promise of beers after work.

Only thing is in the end it all adds up to the cost. Still a few beers is worth the price.

 

[JWR]

I don't even drink beer as I hate the taste - much prefer wine! But my brother and friends can share some beers with the tradies to keep them onside.

Now how to import $12 cartons of beer from America cheap?


Obviously the cost structure of a plumbing company (admin, marketing fees etc...) will be a lot greater than a small family trade business.

I will be targeting these SME's as they will come a lot cheaper and will be more efficient (due to no middle mgmt etc...)


Another idea I had: Sticking a 'help wanted' sign outside the local TAFE where the Apprentices learn - surely would have some cheap labour on the weekends?


Melbournian,

Was that $40/h for 3 Greek concreters or $40/h each?

 

[Melbournian]

40 for 3 guys

 

[JWR]

U can be project manager if u can get labour that cheap!

 

[Rockstar]

So maybe JWR might have a chance of success if he keeps to that earlier promise of beers after work.

Only thing is in the end it all adds up to the cost. Still a few beers is worth the price.

I don't give beers to anyone and my success is growing. I have given a concretor the sack because his labourers were putting pressure on me to buy them beer. Obviously it's not good enough to provide them with ongoing employment! I don't need that attitude on my sites and enjoy working with those who do their work without expecting me to provide alcohol.

 

[Melbournian]

U can be project manager if u can get labour that cheap!

it is just demolishing a deck and cutting it up, sweeping and putting it into a bin so not really much proj mgmt.

 

[weg]

I don't give beers to anyone and my success is growing. I have given a concretor the sack because his labourers were putting pressure on me to buy them beer. Obviously it's not good enough to provide them with ongoing employment! I don't need that attitude on my sites and enjoy working with those who do their work without expecting me to provide alcohol.

I read that and thought, 'Ah, Rockstar is from Darwin', but you aren't .

Maybe it's a 'cheap' tradie thing - working for beer money .

 

[Rockstar]

I read that and thought, 'Ah, Rockstar is from Darwin', but you aren't .

I live close to Byron Bay which is bad enough. A beautiful paradise turned into a party town. People find it hard to enjoy the simple pleasures without involving alcohol.

Maybe it's a 'cheap' tradie thing - working for beer money .

Well it's a cultural "man" thing. I don't have anything against tradies who drink beer but I don't want to be a part of this alcohol culture and prefer it to happen away from my site. Sorry to drift off topic.

 

[The Fence]

I live close to Byron Bay which is bad enough. A beautiful paradise turned into a party town. People find it hard to enjoy the simple pleasures without involving alcohol.



Well it's a cultural "man" thing. I don't have anything against tradies who drink beer but I don't want to be a part of this alcohol culture and prefer it to happen away from my site. Sorry to drift off topic.

Calm down, no one forcing anyone to drink, geeze, a few beers after work, mainly Friday never hurt anyone.
Alcohol Culture....

 

[redwing]

Ok, Im going to let you in on a secret to finding the people you are looking for. Ok, come close, because I need to whisper and I dont want anyone else to hear. OK, you ready?:

Ok, first up, you go into the the closet, as there is a magical portal in there. Jump through and you will find you are on a yellow brick road. Waiting for you will be a trusty unicorn as your steed for the journey. Follow the yellow brick road until you pass the beach with topless mermaids, head inland, past Hogwarts (watch out for the dragon), until you get to a crossroads. From hear head left into wonderland, but dont be tempted by Alice, as she is the really the wicked witch of the west. Over a bridge (dont feed the trolls {tic}, and to the right you will see a huge rainbow. At the closes end is the pot of gold - leave that and head for the other side. You will have to battle a large army of leprechorns and grim reapers riding their Centaurs! Should you get this far, there should be a plethora of tradies with low labour rates, platinum finish quality and only 1 day lead times and finish the job without sleeping or leaving you premises until the job is complete!

Ok, Im off. Think I might push my bellybutton today to turn invisible and find a nice womens change room at the pool to check out!


pinkboy

Don't be silly...There's no Yellow Brick Road; its a portal to the world of Monsters

Maybe 457 visa's are the answer JWR ala' Gina and look where she sits on the Rich List

 

[Rockstar]

Calm down,

Calmly stated my point mate.

geeze, a few beers after work, mainly Friday never hurt anyone.

Disagree totally. I know what happens when some of these guys go home to the family.

 

[evand]

This bit reminded me of a funny incident.

In the late 90s i needed some subbies as i had too much work on for my boys. So i put an ad in the Sydney paper and this guy rang and asked how much i was paying. I said "$50 per hour for you and if you have an offsider or apprentice, $30 p/h for him"

He said fine and we arranged to meet on site. When we met on site he turned up with his pretty wife, not really dressed for electrical work. Haha......it was obvious he was rorting me but i needed people badly so i paid him (and her) for that job and then gave them the boot. Pretty funny......cheeky bugger.

My wife wanted to help one day while on the shovel, she lasted one minute flat and declared....
" ...geeeze, with the amount you drink and this work you do, it's no wonder you dont have a pot gut...!"

 

[evand]

Here's a solution. Maybe JWR should advertise in the Calcutta Telegraph for tradies. He just has to sponsor them, house them and feed them. They should work for $2.20 per hour.

Maybe 457 visa's are the answer JWR ala' Gina and look where she sits on the Rich List

 

[virgo]

The Calcutta Mail

Don't laugh...this is exactly what we Singapore does!

Except substitute Calcuttans (sic?) for Bangladeshis.....almost every apartment block (90% of housing in Singapore is public housing ) is built by contractors who bring them in, house them and pay them wages lower than average Singaporean...and you know what? they are still standing (the apartments i mean)

(So spare me the rhetoric of substandards etc....to me it is the unions protecting their interests .... )

And why not? it benefits both ways, these workers get to feed their families back home ..good on Gina....

With Europe so dire, maybe we can bring in qualified plumbers and electricians...then we as consumers need not pay such high dollars...my friend's painter turned up in his Beemer yesterday at St Ives


Sidenote: my good friend's son 23 years old, just qualified 1 year electrician...brings in 1600 net per week....can that be justified against

those young scientists, engineers, doctors , etc who slogged it out all the way to the unis? How would they feel ? encouraged to pursue something greater for mankind's benefit?

Only in Australia...does it dumb down these academic achievements and reward brawn over brains....just look at the list of Australian of the Year awards...

(okay deep breath i'mready to dodge the bullets)