Farm workers wages!

adam14

Ajsoprano wrote: »

Welcome to the real world lad. Plenty surviving on less that work with me.

I wouldn't work for that unless it was a summer job for a 20 year old. Average industrial wage is 45, 600 in 2016.

einn32

adam14 wrote: »

I wouldn't work for that unless it was a summer job for a 20 year old. Average industrial wage is 45, 600 in 2016.

They need to install guidance for farm employees in Ireland. Dairy expansion has a lot of farmers looking for workers but not really offering attractive packages. It's a bit of a shambles really from my experience so far. I hope it improves.

Ajsoprano

adam14 wrote: »

I wouldn't work for that unless it was a summer job for a 20 year old. Average industrial wage is 45, 600 in 2016.

Haha average skews things. For every person on a few hundred grand a year there’s a pile of people on minimum wage. I’m at a well paid trade 10 plus years and I’m applying to a job that pays that. The wife was in public sector job and earned near that after 20 ish years. It’s not like they tell you in films.

Beechwoodspark

Fellas down my way are lookin for 15-20 euro per hour and expect meals and 2 breaks per day—and getting it too! Yer man the former Siptu boss man (O’Connor?) was circulating pamphlets to them before Christmas about the going rate, entitlements etc.

Ajsoprano

Beechwoodspark wrote: »

Fellas down my way are lookin for 15-20 euro per hour and expect meals and 2 breaks per day—and getting it too! Yer man the former Siptu boss man (O’Connor?) was circulating pamphlets to them before Christmas about the going rate, entitlements etc.

And they say there’s no work in rural areas and all the jobs are in Dublin

Icelandicseige

Loads of dairy lads looking for workers but what are they offering per annum? 40,000??

einn32

Icelandicseige wrote: »

Loads of dairy lads looking for workers but what are they offering per annum? 40,000??

Yeah some are.

Ajsoprano

einn32 wrote: »

Yeah some are.

How long would it take to be competent at this?
Is it just milking and a bit of fence fixing?

einn32

Ajsoprano wrote: »

How long would it take to be competent at this?
Is it just milking and a bit of fence fixing?

Ah more management side of things so a few years I guess but I see young people in management positions so I guess it's down to the individual and drive they have to take on positions.

Mrtm17

Beechwoodspark wrote: »

Fellas down my way are lookin for 15-20 euro per hour and expect meals and 2 breaks per day—and getting it too! Yer man the former Siptu boss man (O’Connor?) was circulating pamphlets to them before Christmas about the going rate, entitlements etc.

I doubt thers too many on 15 -20 euro an hour.id do it for that

davidk1394

Just came across this thread now. Exucuse the long post. The machinery work is gone a bit quiet for the moment. I’m working on 2 different dairy farms at the moment. I consider myself experienced with stock and machinery.

Farmer 1: I’m on this farm since I was 19. It’s a well run and efficient place. I know the run of the farm, stock, machinery and get on very well with the family and the owner, we’re good friends and I see him as a mentor as i progress into my farming career. I help out during the spring doing milking, feeding and everything else. When he goes on holidays I look after the place. If his ever stuck and I’m free I’ll help him even if it’s just for an hour or calf a cow. I do a lot of hire work for him and he buys fodder off me. Also I buy stock off him. At the moment I get €13/hour along with all the meals and a bonus at Christmas. Whatever the bill comes for labor and hire work he pays without any haggling.

Farmer 2: His a neighbor of mine. He was stuck a couple of times to do feeding while he was away. The other day I gave from 8.30 am until 3pm freeze brand heifers. Throughout the day he never offered me a mug of tea or even a slice of bread. I helped him because he was stuck. Thinking of charging him €15/hour for his meanness.

I’m currently doing lambing at night for a fella. I’m getting €95 for 8 hours. I’m happy with it because I give the majority of the time lying around. I feed any ewes that lambed and bed pens. Mainly just to pass the time.

So the question is am I charging enough or undervaluing myself ?

Timmaay

15e/hr sounds very reasonable considering your skill level, however in future I would specify this beforehand, at the very least have a brief conversation with them that you normally charged this sort of money, and gauge their reaction. Some farmers will see it as too expensive, which you absolutely shouldn't take any offence to, its their loss. Given the sound of that farmer, I wouldnt be surprised if he says 15e/hr is too much ha, if he does then what will your reply be??

wrangler

Timmaay wrote: »

15e/hr sounds very reasonable considering your skill level, however in future I would specify this beforehand, at the very least have a brief conversation with them that you normally charged this sort of money, and gauge their reaction. Some farmers will see it as too expensive, which you absolutely shouldn't take any offence to, its their loss. Given the sound of that farmer, I wouldnt be surprised if he says 15e/hr is too much ha, if he does then what will your reply be??

I know a guy that just says €200/day and it's up to the farmer to fill the day but he'll work 10 - 12 hrs for it, he's in demand so you can take it or leave it, he's a carpenter but likes working for farmers when he gets the chance

2018na

It’s a strange profession farming,am a carpenter builder myself and have earned relatively decent money always.however I have a big interest in farming from doing casual labor in my youth. Would like to buy a jcb or mini digger sometime just for messing about on my own place always something to do circa 1 acre.fook me the price of like an old 25 year plus yolk. Yet on the other hand lads value there Labour at 100 euro a day .it costs this for a fill of road diesel now.there seems to be no correlation between work and reward in farming either you own it or your shat on from a height

davidk1394

Timmaay wrote: »

15e/hr sounds very reasonable considering your skill level, however in future I would specify this beforehand, at the very least have a brief conversation with them that you normally charged this sort of money, and gauge their reaction. Some farmers will see it as too expensive, which you absolutely shouldn't take any offence to, its their loss. Given the sound of that farmer, I wouldnt be surprised if he says 15e/hr is too much ha, if he does then what will your reply be??

Hmmm, I’ll explain to him what I did and if he keeps arguing I’ll take whatever I get and don’t go back again. Going forward. Tell them what I charge per hour like you said and leave it up to them then.

Base price

Don't undersell yourself. Farm help/labours are like hens teeth nowdays.

I'm a lot older than you and many years ago I was getting €12 for the first four hours and €15 thereafter for feeding/tending calves, bedding calf sheds, cow cubicles, scraping yards, feeding pit silage/maize with a matbro loader & shear grab etc, etc. I mowed meadows for silage/hay and turned, rowed and topped paddocks.

Just remember if you are are a self employed/contractor you have to submit your own TAX returns to Revenue.

Sacrolyte

How does it work with lads that have accommodation. Does it come off their wages or what.and by how much?

mallowgarry

I'm out of that game for over a year, but just got a hefty tax bill from self-employment days. I see site teleporter drivers and scaffolders are now getting 16 - 18 an hour, with taxes paid. So €15 an hour is absolute minimum.
I used to tell the farmer straight out. €1200 a year for my VHI, then about €4000 for the tax bill. If he wanted me self-employed in his yard, then it was €13 (2 years ago) or I wasn't working there. I still undervalued myself at that, they wouldn't feed or accomodate you.
500+ overseas workers applied for the skills shortages visas in the meat factories. Something like 5 applied for dairy farm work permits.
Fellas want 150+ extra cows, and expect someone else to take a hit when they can't understand why they can't make money.
It all goes back to the Labour Court / JLC Wage Agreements / Agricultural Wage being abolished, the Wage was set about €2 Euro higher than the Minimum wage with limits on hours and most were happy.
I'd nearly be asking for €15 PRSI or closer to €20 self-employed. Nobody will be there for you when you get injured so charge accordingly.
I've had four? enquiries or offers from farmers recently, they are desperate for crew, so time to fork out some €€€

einn32

mallowgarry wrote: »

I'm out of that game for over a year, but just got a hefty tax bill from self-employment days. I see site teleporter drivers and scaffolders are now getting 16 - 18 an hour, with taxes paid. So €15 an hour is absolute minimum.
I used to tell the farmer straight out. €1200 a year for my VHI, then about €4000 for the tax bill. If he wanted me self-employed in his yard, then it was €13 (2 years ago) or I wasn't working there. I still undervalued myself at that, they wouldn't feed or accomodate you.
500+ overseas workers applied for the skills shortages visas in the meat factories. Something like 5 applied for dairy farm work permits.
Fellas want 150+ extra cows, and expect someone else to take a hit when they can't understand why they can't make money.
It all goes back to the Labour Court / JLC Wage Agreements / Agricultural Wage being abolished, the Wage was set about €2 Euro higher than the Minimum wage with limits on hours and most were happy.
I'd nearly be asking for €15 PRSI or closer to €20 self-employed. Nobody will be there for you when you get injured so charge accordingly.
I've had four? enquiries or offers from farmers recently, they are desperate for crew, so time to fork out some €€€

What gets me is the full time jobs are always a salary and don't change no matter what the hours you do. But if a person comes in part time they get paid per hour. So you could be working beside a person for the day who gets more but might be less experienced!

2018na

Loads of these farms are selling milk to the value of 1000 a day plus other incomes like culls excess heifers sfp absolute cashcow of a business jeez give a decent lad a 1000 a week

davidk1394

2018na wrote: »

Loads of these farms are selling milk to the value of 1000 a day plus other incomes like culls excess heifers sfp absolute cashcow of a business jeez give a decent lad a 1000 a week

Very true. Finding good labor is hard. I find I’m more inclined to go back to the fellas who feed you before the fellas who don’t.

older by the day

Greengrass1 wrote: »

10/hr what's wrong with that lads? What other job would ye get that with out being qualified?

Put the children out begging, and pimp out the wife. You obviously haven't ran a house lately

390kid

Used to get 80 a day and 30 a milking they paid the taxes and got fed. Hadn’t much experience at the time

Joe Daly

It pays to look after staff, a man near me had a contracting firm he had lads working with him they were fools he bought a new fendt summer 2014 by the time people had enough of him 2017 there was four thousand euro worth of damage done to the tractor with 2,000 hours on it. The saying goes if you pay peanuts you get monkeys, I have lads working with me sometimes they have to work away from home supply them with phone, van, diesel . Agricultural contracting has changed time is everything most houses the wife is out working some places you might be blessed you don't get a dinner in so some lads bring a lunch, or we supply food.

SuperTortoise

Ajsoprano wrote: »

Welcome to the real world lad. Plenty surviving on less that work with me.

Big difference between surviving and living.

Keep Sluicing

I'm being left go from work at the end if april and a friend of mine offered me €100/day nett, on his dairy farm. 6:30 to 6. I know he never finishes at 6 and its normally 7.
I had to politely decline as i have other work lined up (i dont). But he was kinda put out that i wouldn't take him up on it, he said there would be a handy bit of tractor driving (that was supposed to be the sweetener)

wrangler

Joe Daly wrote: »

It pays to look after staff, a man near me had a contracting firm he had lads working with him they were fools he bought a new fendt summer 2014 by the time people had enough of him 2017 there was four thousand euro worth of damage done to the tractor with 2,000 hours on it. The saying goes if you pay peanuts you get monkeys, I have lads working with me sometimes they have to work away from home supply them with phone, van, diesel . Agricultural contracting has changed time is everything most houses the wife is out working some places you might be blessed you don't get a dinner in so some lads bring a lunch, or we supply food.

Sometimes you're better to bring your own food

blackbox

Keep Sluicing wrote: »

I'm being left go from work at the end if april and a friend of mine offered me €100/day nett, on his dairy farm. 6:30 to 6. I know he never finishes at 6 and its normally 7.
I had to politely decline as i have other work lined up (i dont). But he was kinda put out that i wouldn't take him up on it, he said there would be a handy bit of tractor driving (that was supposed to be the sweetener)

That's less than the minimum wage.

Keep Sluicing

blackbox wrote: »

That's less than the minimum wage.

Exactly. He has a fair turnover of staff beacause he says "young fellas dont want to do a proper days work anymore"

Who2

blackbox wrote: »

That's less than the minimum wage.

Do you know his tax circumstances?