5 thoughts on “Questions in the Telegraph we can answer”
Machiavelli
Yellow pages?
Stephen mcaffrey
Many brickies retrained and went elsewhere when the influx of Polish tradesmen took hold. They could not compete and the market lapped it up because they were getting something for almost nothing. The problem is that the Polish have gone home in their droves and of those that are left the cost is comparable or at times exceeds the good ol English brickie with his ghastly tea, bottom flashing and liberal use of profanity. I miss them.
bloke (not) in spain
“the market lapped it up because they were getting something for almost nothing.”
There were some Russians working on a job opposite in Central London. I borrowed a couple for a day. Christ, they grafted. I paid them the same as I paid my labourer. £100 a day. Having a great hulking Russian trying to kiss you is not a good experience. They were getting £30 & the opportunity to doss down on the site & nights.
Sometimes, markets…
johnny bonk
Well if you can get a hardworking bricklayer for £100 / day ( presumably gross ~ £70 / day if looked at as tax paying career ) then its hardly suprising that there’s a shortage.
If you want bricklayers who are
1: good at bricklaying
2: responsible and professional
3: take a long term career view of their work
then the gross pay probably needs to be about £300 per day. At that rate you may well find that there are sufficient young (and not so young) men willing and able to do the training and the work.
Yellow pages?
Many brickies retrained and went elsewhere when the influx of Polish tradesmen took hold. They could not compete and the market lapped it up because they were getting something for almost nothing. The problem is that the Polish have gone home in their droves and of those that are left the cost is comparable or at times exceeds the good ol English brickie with his ghastly tea, bottom flashing and liberal use of profanity. I miss them.
“the market lapped it up because they were getting something for almost nothing.”
There were some Russians working on a job opposite in Central London. I borrowed a couple for a day. Christ, they grafted. I paid them the same as I paid my labourer. £100 a day. Having a great hulking Russian trying to kiss you is not a good experience. They were getting £30 & the opportunity to doss down on the site & nights.
Sometimes, markets…
Well if you can get a hardworking bricklayer for £100 / day ( presumably gross ~ £70 / day if looked at as tax paying career ) then its hardly suprising that there’s a shortage.
If you want bricklayers who are
1: good at bricklaying
2: responsible and professional
3: take a long term career view of their work
then the gross pay probably needs to be about £300 per day. At that rate you may well find that there are sufficient young (and not so young) men willing and able to do the training and the work.
£300/day? Wow, at that rate I could act like Lord. #SeeWhatIDidThere