Out of work??

bitemybanger

I work in the construction sector(carpenter) and i havnt been able to get work since Christmas, nixers and bar work at the weekend keeping me going,
Has the Construction industry hit crisis point? i know of at least 6 people in the same boat as myself.
I hear from various people(usualy not in the industry) that say it will pick up and everything will be back to normal but i cant see it in the near future as all im hearing is lads getting let go left right and centre. Time to move on??

Ross_Mahon

My friend has been working for this company for 3 years, and they ran out of work a while ago and let everyone go, so he was out for a while, but his dad got him a job with some other company that had jobs going. So he was blessed...

SheroN

I can't see things picking up in the construciton industry for the rest of this year (at least).

No more picking a figure out of your head, multiplying it by 15 and then charging someone that amount.

Ross_Mahon

And i used to hear people say "Electrican is the thing to be now, theres loads of money in it!" And people doing other trades saying the same thing. What is the best place to work? In an office? In a shop?

Voodu Child

There's always work for shuttering carpenters, especially non-Polish ones.

Keep looking.

Adam

In fairness, while the contruction side of it is fairly out what with more houses than there's a demand for (hence the market falling so drastically), I'd say the leccys will be a bit safer, as there's always going to be a need for that. Maybe smaller scale, not having to wire entire houses, but if my electricity fails unexpectedly tomorrow, I'm not going to call a block layer that's for sure!

OP, I'd say find something else you can do, like take up the bar work full time if that's an option, at least if the sector picks back up soon it's not like you won't be able to jump straight back in! But until then, cut your losses is my advice.

chopperbyrne

How hard have you been looking for work or what way have you been looking for work?

My mate who is a qualified electrician was out of work for about two months, but he barely looked and just kept saying "there's no work out there."

Guarantee had he been looking every day he would have found work much sooner.

Overheal

Thing of it is the last couple years its been "aww yeah! Everyone needs houses! Build Build Build!" Now ya've gone and flooded the market. Shame on you...

There may not be work to be had in general construction but I'll bet my left testicle you could find a niche - like Shuttering, as voodoo's saying. Lawncare is another potential goldmine. Basically, go flip through the yellow pages right: when you see 3 pages of plumbing directories, 4 pages of carpenters, and 1 half page of Shutterers for example: you know theres competition to be had in shuttering, now dont you?

Maximilian

Odd forum to post this in I would have thought. I'd be concerned if I were you. Construction industry seems to have come to a halt. Developers are just sitting on their land now. I imagine though that migrant workers in the sector will be hardest hit and may end up returning home if things continue.

I can't see much improvement in the next year. I've spoken to some pretty senior bankers lately and they think the same. But who knows.

newestUser

Oh man OP, why post this? Every a*sehole with a grudge against people who have/had a bit of money is going to be dancing around, pointing at you and calling you a d!ckhead.

You don't provide enough details about your financial/personal situation for anyone to give you good advice. If the IT recession of 2000-2003 was anything to go by, you'll be looking at a few years before the labour market for the construction trade gets back to a healthy state. You've only been out of work a month, don't panic.

AckwelFoley

3 day week here.

Looking for a new job to sell sustainable energie products full time rather than just part time as it seems now in the hardware store.

My employers wont invest in this area dispite the sales i made last year in this area alone.

Adam

Overheal wrote: »

Thing of it is the last couple years its been "aww yeah! Everyone needs houses! Build Build Build!" Now ya've gone and flooded the market. Shame on you...

There may not be work to be had in general construction but I'll bet my left testicle you could find a niche - like Shuttering, as voodoo's saying. Lawncare is another potential goldmine. Basically, go flip through the yellow pages right: when you see 3 pages of plumbing directories, 4 pages of carpenters, and 1 half page of Shutterers for example: you know theres competition to be had in shuttering, now dont you?

And if you get really stuck, you should note there are no drug dealers/money launderers in the Golden Pages. Zing!

bitemybanger

SheroN wrote: »

I can't see things picking up in the construciton industry for the rest of this year (at least).

No more picking a figure out of your head, multiplying it by 15 and then charging someone that amount.

Obviously your not from a construction background:rolleyes: ill say no more



OP, I'd say find something else you can do, like take up the bar work full time if that's an option, at least if the sector picks back up soon it's not like you won't be able to jump straight back in! But until then, cut your losses is my advice.[/QUOTE]

I was thinking of joining the PDA(permiment defence force) as i have wanted to do it for years but wanted to get my trade out of the way first, and as i dont have long left to join cause limit age is 25, now i think would be the perfect time

Adam

bitemybanger wrote: »

Obviously your not from a construction background:rolleyes: ill say no more

I was thinking of joining the PDA(permiment defence force) as i have wanted to do it for years but wanted to get my trade out of the way first, and as i dont have long left to join cause limit age is 25, now i think would be the perfect time

Well if you're genuinely interested, get the hell off boards and go make a call!

sickpuppy

Hi bite i worked in construction for 5years in Dublin 2001 to 2006 and saw a lot of problems arising .
Previously i worked in Holland same work 1997 to2000.
A lot of the problem is the race to the bottom wage wise i think.
It started with mostly labourers being under cut by foreign workers.
And now it will work its way up to tradesmen.
In five years i only new of one subby who paid his men the proper rate of pay.
Why employ irish lads say a chippie for 20to 24 euro an hour when you can get a foreign bloke for 10 or 11 an hour maybe hes skilled maybe not.
Sub contractors have made obscene amounts of money by not paying guys proper wages and paying cash in hand too.
Big companys like sisk pierse etc just wash there hands and say we subcontracted out the job we didnt know they were underpaid etc.
This is of course lies as the price they pay for work is way below what an irish workforce could afford to do it for.
The boom times of name your price are definitely over i think my friend was able to haggle a huge price of his plumbing in galway cos the bloke had no work on.
My brotehr in law a bricklayer in galway has not worked a day in six weeks hes never been in more than aweek out of work in last 15 years.
I can see it like the 80s with tradesmen leaving ireland on mass to find employment,or building sites without any irish men on it bar a foreman.
Id look for alternative training or education.
Also with so many apprentices getting qualified in jobs competition for smaller jobs will be fierce good for the consumer perhaps but bad for the worker.

bitemybanger

newestUser wrote: »

Oh man OP, why post this? Every a*sehole with a grudge against people who have/had a bit of money is going to be dancing around, pointing at you and calling you a d!ckhead.

You don't provide enough details about your financial/personal situation for anyone to give you good advice. If the IT recession of 2000-2003 was anything to go by, you'll be looking at a few years before the labour market for the construction trade gets back to a healthy state. You've only been out of work a month, don't panic.

I still have money and its not so much personal details when nobody knows anything about you,
And im not asking for advice

SheroN

bitemybanger wrote: »

Obviously your not from a construction background:rolleyes: ill say no more

I am not. But I am from a common sense background.

What is your problem with my post, do you think:

A) That I am incorrect and the construction industry will bounce back within the next year?

or

Are you disputing that there was a lot of tradespeople charging crazy prices over the past few years?

newestUser

bitemybanger wrote: »

And im not asking for advice

Well what's this about then?

bitemybanger wrote: »

I hear from various people(usualy not in the industry) that say it will pick up and everything will be back to normal but i cant see it in the near future as all im hearing is lads getting let go left right and centre. Time to move on??

bitemybanger

SheroN wrote: »

I am not. But I am from a common sense background.

What is your problem with my post, do you think:

A) That I am incorrect and the construction industry will bounce back within the next year?

or

Are you disputing that there was a lot of tradespeople charging crazy prices over the past few years?

Worse are the people who pay the OTT prices to be honest.
The problem is not in your post but your steriotypical attitude

ScumLord

I have a few friends in the same boat being laid off from the esb and construction industry.

I can see the construction industry having a bit of a pick up. The houses that have been built over the past 10 -15 years are of such poor quality that there already falling apart and need replacing.

AckwelFoley

bitemybanger wrote: »

Worse are the people who pay the OTT prices to be honest.
The problem is not in your post but your steriotypical attitude

.. id add "uninformed" to that too

SheroN

bitemybanger wrote: »

Worse are the people who pay the OTT prices to be honest.
The problem is not in your post but your steriotypical attitude

Rubbish. If someone wanted a job done during the building boom. They had two options, pay high prices (and usually wait a long time to get the job done) or don't get the job done at all.

AckwelFoley

SheroN wrote: »

Are you disputing that there was a lot of tradespeople charging crazy prices over the past few years?

Define "crazy" for me?

A quick glance t goldenpage.ie found a number of industries being unrepresented at the minute.

Assassins, Terrorist Cells, Body Disposal, Murder Scene Clean Up, Prostitution, all niches which one can easily turn a profit.

humanji

Can you not try for work with companies that don't do housing construction? I work for a big company that does housing and corporate/industrial building. The housing has slowed down, but the others are still on the rise. Keep the faith and you'll pull through.

sickpuppy

Agree with sherons last statement about guys naming there price,
mainly brickiec and plumbers crooks.

AckwelFoley

SheroN wrote: »

Rubbish. If someone wanted a job done during the building boom. They had two options, pay high prices (and usually wait a long time to get the job done) or don't get the job done at all.

... and you point is what exactly?

They spend 5 years as an apprentice earning peanuts.. would you want them to work for min wage, or is it only people that wear suits entitled to a good wage?

AckwelFoley

sickpuppy wrote: »

Agree with sherons last statement about guys naming there price,
mainly brickiec and plumbers crooks.

Why does that make them crooks?

If you dont like the price dont be an idiot by paying for it.

ejmaztec

It will soon be time to head off to Limerick, after donning your Kevlar overalls, to take part in the re-building of certain troubled areas.

Isn't this time of the year bad for the construction/auctioneering industry, even when there's a boom on?

humanji

Deleted User wrote: »

A quick glance t goldenpage.ie found a number of industries being unrepresented at the minute.

Assassins, Terrorist Cells, Body Disposal, Murder Scene Clean Up, Prostitution, all niches which one can easily turn a profit.

Leave prostitution out of it. You even think of moving in on my territory and me and my bitches will cut you up! :mad:

SheroN

snyper wrote: »

... and you point is what exactly?

They spend 5 years as an apprentice earning peanuts.. would you want them to work for min wage, or is it only people that wear suits entitled to a good wage?

Lets not start try putting words into my mouth. I'm not saying that at all.

What I am saying is, there was lots (not all) of tradespeople getting ridiculous amounts of money for doing their job because the demand was so high.

They never had to look for work, work found them, they did the job for their inflated price - as the consumer had no option but to pay it. I'm not saying this as a critisism of the tradespeople. I would have done the same thing.

Barlow07

I personally think the industry in down at the moment and it was predicted it would happen. You have a trade which is a fantastic, I would suggest you go to America, Canada or Australia. I know if i was in your shoes, i wouldnt be waiting around any longer, like you say you know of others in the same position, your all after the same jobs.

SheroN

snyper wrote: »

Why does that make them crooks?

If you dont like the price dont be an idiot by paying for it.

If you want the job done, what other option do you have to pay the price?

Tell the builder to f*ck off and go to the builder down the road to have him charge you an equally inflated price?

AckwelFoley

SheroN wrote: »

If you want the job done, what other option do you have to pay the price?

Tell the builder to f*ck off and go to the builder down the road to have him charge you an equally inflated price?

Infalted price is a nice word im hearing here.

What pray tell, is this? What is your definition of a fair price? For decades builders and tradesmen had to leave the country to get a decent living, you begrudge them some decent earnings?

The cavet emptor was and still enforce, to claim that prices did not differ between them is completely untrue. There were always people that worked for less.

gurramok

Too many people chasing too few jobs in their area of expertise (construction)

286,000 workers in it now building too many houses for too few people to buy them, double what it was 5 years ago.

OP, diversify into another industry/discipline or emigrate and earn big bucks.

humanji

humanji wrote: »

Leave prostitution out of it. You even think of moving in on my territory and me and my bitches will cut you up! :mad:

Better tell your hoes to watch themselves, mine are switchblade sisters. Not afraid to take it onto the streets, watch them bitch slap you back to your prom

On a side note, do you have protection for you hoes??? PM me and we can discuss putting somehting in place.

SheroN

snyper wrote: »

Infalted price is a nice word im hearing here.

What pray tell, is this? What is your definition of a fair price? For decades builders and tradesmen had to leave the country to get a decent living, you begrudge them some decent earnings?

The cavet emptor was and still enforce, to claim that prices did not differ between them is completely untrue. There were always people that worked for less.

Yes "inflated price". A price that's been hiked up because the builder knew at the time being a builder was a licence to print money.

Trojan911

SheroN wrote: »

Rubbish. If someone wanted a job done during the building boom. They had two options, pay high prices (and usually wait a long time to get the job done) or don't get the job done at all.

Have to agree with you there....

Three years ago I wanted to convert my attic, 20ft x 29ft, already floored & the majority of work was stud partitioning slabbing, no actual brick building etc. And I put two dormas on the front as well. I rang twelve builders & only three got back to me.

1st fella quoted me €35,000 (had to wait three months before starting).

2nd fella quoted me €44,600 (had to wait five months before starting).

3rd fella never got back to me & wouldn't take my calls.

This did not include painting, tiling or any decorating etc I did all that myself. I used direct labour for the plumbing, electricity, plastering and a roofer for the dormas. My buddy & myself did all the carpentry, studding & slabbing ourselves.

I did the whole lot for ........ €20,000. I had so much money left over I went off & bought a two year old car. I wonder how much they would be charging now if I was to call them or out of that nine that never got back to me would now get back to me. A lot less I would wager.

SheroN

Trojan911 wrote: »

Have to agree with you there....

Three years ago I wanted to convert my attic, 20ft x 29ft, already floored & the majority of work was stud partitioning slabbing, no actual brick building etc. And I put two dormas on the front as well. I rang twelve builders & only three got back to me.

1st fella quoted me €35,000 (had to wait three months).

2nd fella quoted me €44,600 (had to wait five months).

3rd fella never got back to me & wouldn't take my calls.

This did not include painting, tiling or any decorating etc I did all that myself. I used direct labour for the plumbing, electricity, plastering and a roofer for the dormas. My buddy & myself did all the carpentry, studding & slabbing ourselves.

I did the whole lot for ........ €20,000. I had so much money left over I went off & bought a two year old car. I wonder how much they would be charging now if I was to call them or out of that nine that never got back to me would now get back to me. A lot less I would wager.

You should call up the same builders and ask them for a quote now. We'll have the inflated price thing proved once and for all then.

Trojan911

SheroN wrote: »

You should call up the same builders and ask them for a quote now. We'll have the inflated price thing proved once and for all then.

Unfortunately I don't have their numbers anymore, but a good point. As the buddies, who are all in the building trade were saying, "they quoted high because they don't want the work, if they got it then it was easy cash for them".

AckwelFoley

SheroN wrote: »

Yes "inflated price". A price that's been hiked up because the builder knew at the time being a builder was a licence to print money.

Year 1 Economics.

Day one.

Supply and demand.

My dad works for Hilitia Ireland. They supply most of the equipment for most trades on sites etc & he has told me that things have slowed down big time over the last few months. The main reason that he keeps hearing is indeed the economy and it doesn't look like its going to improve any time soon. Alot of this is being blamed on the amount of work that has been given to imigrants on under cut wages & in turn not spending over here & not putting it back into the economy but sending their pay cheques home. Many people dont realise how viscious a circle this can be.

Other then the slow down OP. Why would an employer hire you when he can hire someone else for 20-30% less? Its a sad fact but its happening all the time in Ireland at the moment. I see all kinds of different salaries in the job im in & its unbelievalbe the difference between what some foreign nationals are getting compared to Nationals. I once seen a foregin chef with 5 years + experience in Ireland getting paid €22k a year.... This would usually be €30-40k at least.

Voodu Child

SheroN wrote: »

Yes "inflated price". A price that's been hiked up because the builder knew at the time being a builder was a licence to print money.

If everybody is charging similarly high-prices, then it's not 'inflated'; it's market price.

humanji

Deleted User wrote: »

Better tell your hoes to watch themselves, mine are switchblade sisters. Not afraid to take it onto the streets, watch them bitch slap you back to your prom

Bah, mine are out of work brickies and carpenters in skirts. They can take care of themselves!

Deleted User wrote: »

On a side note, do you have protection for you hoes??? PM me and we can discuss putting somehting in place.

Well we're a registered company so the're covered by company insurance including full medical and dental plans. They used to be with SIPTU, but for the fees they were paying, it just wasn't worth it.

Iago

snyper wrote: »

What pray tell, is this? What is your definition of a fair price?

An inflated price is a price that is charged without being commensurate with the work, cost and effort involved in providing a service or product to a customer.

A fair price is a price that is charged commensurate with the work, cost and effort involved in providing a service or product to a customer.

Now what that price is, depends on what you believe "commensurate" is. If you think for example that €150 to move three sink pedestals a couple of inches off the floor is commensurate with the work involved then that's a fair price. If however you think that it should be in the region of €40 for the 15 minutes work involved then it's an inflated price.

Pricing in the construction industry has been overpriced for at least the last 15-20 years, I spent 6 years working in it so I would consider myself informed on the subject. But like everyone else if someone was going to pay me €300-€400 for 90 minutes work on a Saturday then by god I'm a big enough man to let them!

doesn't change the fact that it's overpriced though

humanji

humanji wrote: »

Bah, mine are out of work brickies and carpenters in skirts. They can take care of themselves!

Mine target early morning revelers and hotel bar clientele. The whole construction industry recession has hit me hard but I'm supplementing it by girls deal at the same time. Working wonders at the minute.

humanji wrote: »

Well we're a registered company so the're covered by company insurance including full medical and dental plans. They used to be with SIPTU, but for the fees they were paying, it just wasn't worth it.

Not to bad. Dental is quite important, had one of mine loose a lot of business due to having her front teeth knocked out. I'm having some of my heavies stick close by, as there are quite a few who think they can wipe and leave. Disgraceful how people are so insensitive to these poor working girls.

humanji

I know, it's disgusting. But count yourself lucky, most of our clientele don't even wipe!

SheroN

snyper wrote: »

Year 1 Economics.

Day one.

Supply and demand.

Thanks for that

Day two.

The cyclic nature of economies -Boom and Bust.

SheroN

voodoo_child wrote: »

If everybody is charging similarly high-prices, then it's not 'inflated'; it's market price.

The whole market was inflated. Prices that were deemed to be "market price" were inflated due to there being too high demand for skills that were in limited supply.

The supply/demand balance became skewed, inflating prices.

AckwelFoley

Iago wrote: »

.

Pricing in the construction industry has been overpriced for at least the last 15-20 years,

Im sending a bill to your insurance for 3 cracked ribs i sustained laughing at that.

1988 - 1997/8 There were few developments built

After that the trade boomed, demand was ther and paid for accordingly.

If you fancy the long hours and hard work, you too can take up a FAS course and be a tradesman... knowing of course that the boom wont last.

Make Hay while the sun shines.

I dont begrudge them for it one minute.

humanji

humanji wrote: »

I know, it's disgusting. But count yourself lucky, most of our clientele don't even wipe!

That's just dreadful, a cursory wipe of any spilt bodily fluid is just common decency.