Most ridiculous Celtic Tiger wages

Sh1tbag OToole

We have all heard the stories of plumbers getting 1500 a week or more firing their change into the bin after leaving the shop with their breakfast roll and lads getting about 3 quid for every cavity block they put down but what's the most ridiculous wage for a simple job you remember from the tiger? and how are they faring now?

A lot of the people getting ridiculous wages during the tiger squandered it all on their own overpriced residential unit with f*ck off pillars outside it and a plastic Jaccuzzi for 5k that's most likely broken now.

tomwaterford

E10 for putting down kerbs....just larger versions of bricks


I'm still terribly paid

SKETT

The bitterness is strong in this one.

Gatling

15 ph working in a specialist security company but done -100 hours a week so fortnightly pay came to about 3k

asherbassad

Sh1tbag OToole wrote: »

We have all heard the stories of plumbers getting 1500 a week or more firing their change into the bin after leaving the shop with their breakfast roll and lads getting about 3 quid for every cavity block they put down but what's the most ridiculous wage for a simple job you remember from the tiger? and how are they faring now?

A lot of the people getting ridiculous wages during the tiger squandered it all on their own overpriced residential unit with f*ck off pillars outside it and a plastic Jaccuzzi for 5k that's most likely broken now.

Dunno....was busy living abroad in a beautiful 3 bedroom riverside apartment in Amsterdam that I bought for 350k and being told by little **** down the pub in Dublin that I was a loser to have gone to University and not stayed in Dublin to be a plumber as they showed me pics of their 57 sqm gaffs that they "stole" for 560K.

Does your shoe box come with anything other than the local Spar?

DEFTLEFTHAND

Gatling wrote: »

15 ph working in a specialist security company but done -100 hours a week so fortnightly pay came to about 3k

What type of work did that entail?

mulbot

28E per box( a single kitchen press) kitchen fitting,and 40E a metre for wardrobes-How i'd love those days to be back

Timberrrrrrrr

Used to drive tower cranes, €25 an hour plus overtime. Used to get 2 hours money a day just for turning up, 1 hour "travel and 1 hour greasing time. 250/300 a week before you even do a minutes work.

Lumbo

Gatling wrote: »

15 ph working in a specialist security company but done -100 hours a week so fortnightly pay came to about 3k

The most I've ever worked is 65 hours over 7 days. Is 100 hours in a week not boarder line insane?

whiskeyman

Pick any of the RTE gang...
Or John Delaney. At one stage, he was being paid 100k more that the combined total of the heads of the Spanish and Italian FAs!

Sir Osis of Liver.

Working as sparks on the sites I was getting €150 lodge money just for turning up for work on 4 days.
€25 ph after that.All the hours I wanted.

Nice.

Streetwalker

Whatever Bertie Ahern got paid.

fm

mulbot wrote: »

28E per box( a single kitchen press) kitchen fitting,and 40E a metre for wardrobes-How i'd love those days to be back

it's that now and more

scwazrh

Big rates are starting to come back again .A good few companies in dublin are now paying 750 a week take home for tradesmen .

Gatling

Lumbo wrote: »

The most I've ever worked is 65 hours over 7 days. Is 100 hours in a week not boarder line insane?

I honestly believe it caused me more problems than I could ever imagined 5/6 years doing the same hours literally wrecked my body and (my mind to a degree ).

After a few months you don't realise that your working that long

Sunnyisland

I was getting 208 a week for doing nothing,it's dropped to 188 now but we all have to play our part in getting the country back on its feet so no complaints here.

dirtyden

Gatling wrote: »

I honestly believe it caused me more problems than I could ever imagined 5/6 years doing the same hours literally wrecked my body and (my mind to a degree ).

After a few months you don't realise that your working that long

That is 14 hour days, seven days a week? Did you really do that?

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

I was on 165,000 before the boom. That's all short-term chicken feed lads. And for many it was hard earned over long hours.

Gatling

DEFTLEFTHAND wrote: »

What type of work did that entail?

Everything from securing millions in high value goods in transit across here and Europe, recovering goods from heavy machines and equipment during industrial disputes and financial disputes
To internal company investigations involving theft and fraud .

Sh1tbag OToole

Marleigh Loose Wrongdoing wrote: »

I was on 165,000 before the boom. That's all short-term chicken feed lads. And for many it was hard earned over long hours.

What sort of work were ya doing for it though and how many hours a week?

B.A._Baracus

I assume plumbers were making good money back in the day.
As my Dad rang up a plumber to get one of the sink taps in the bathroom changed years ago. Would of been around 2003/2004 (perhaps earlier) and he got a quote for a 80 euro call out charge and parts and labor on top.
Obviously my dad felt that was well too much so he decided to do it himself. So he gets a new tap, turns off the water and busts out the spanners. Around 20 minutes later the brand new tap is working.

80 euro call out charge and what ever he would decide to charge on top of that!!!? The tap was just siezed. No water was coming out. There wasnt an emergency or anything. My Dad was just ringing up a plumber to see when he could come out and fix it.

Sh1tbag OToole

B.A._Baracus wrote: »

I assume plumbers were making good money back in the day.
As my Dad rang up a plumber to get one of the sink taps in the bathroom changed years ago. Would of been around 2003/2004 (perhaps earlier) and he got a quote for a 80 euro call out charge and parts and labor on top.
Obviously my dad felt that was well too much so he decided to do it himself. So he gets a new tap, turns off the water and busts out the spanners. Around 20 minutes later the brand new tap is working.

80 euro call out charge and what ever he would decide to charge on top of that!!!? The tap was just siezed. No water was coming out. There wasnt an emergency or anything. My Dad was just ringing up a plumber to see when he could come out and fix it.

The plumbers are probably busy lobbying the government to bring in domestic tap installers cert so that only registered plumbers can do this job and that taps can only be sold to plumbers who will then issue a cert. Also only members who subscribe to the €2,000 a year traders guild will be able to issue the certs so no chance of you getting the retired plumber you're friendly with to do the job for you. You'll get no house insurance and won't be able to sell the house if you don't have one of these certs for every tap installed

Bulbous Salutation

Plumbers are starting to make good money again. That and all the casual sex they have with frustrated housewives when they call around to fix the shower pump.

B.A._Baracus

Sh1tbag OToole wrote: »

The plumbers are probably busy lobbying the government to bring in domestic tap installers cert so that only registered plumbers can do this job and that taps can only be sold to plumbers who will then issue a cert. Also only members who subscribe to the €2,000 a year traders guild will be able to issue the certs so no chance of you getting the retired plumber you're friendly with to do the job for you. You'll get no house insurance and won't be able to sell the house if you don't have one of these certs for every tap installed

Well all this certs stuff is news to me. But we're talking years ago here.

tomwaterford

B.A._Baracus wrote: »

Well all this certs stuff is news to me. But we're talking years ago here.

I'd say at a guess he's referring to electrians
Kinda how registered electrians have to sign off on something for insurance....but are no more qualified/pass extra tests than a standerd unregistered but qualified electrians

Sh1tbag OToole

B.A._Baracus wrote: »

Well all this certs stuff is news to me. But we're talking years ago here.

Well tis pure speculation for now but the gas installer crowd got laws passed in their favour and are still lobbying to have it tightened up

fleet_admiral

I was offered 50 pound an hour to work in the RTE restaurant on new years eve 1999. Didnt do it

zl1whqvjs75cdy

scwazrh wrote: »

Big rates are starting to come back again .A good few companies in dublin are now paying 750 a week take home for tradesmen .

And we wonder why houses are too expensive to build.

Sunnyisland

fleet_admiral wrote: »

I was offered 50 pound an hour to work in the RTE restaurant on new years eve 1999. Didnt do it

What was on the desert menu

Humble pie...

ratracer

fleet_admiral wrote: »

I was offered 50 pound an hour to work in the RTE restaurant on new years eve 1999. Didnt do it

Sure the PS workers got £1500 bonus if they had to work that night! Ah Happy Days, there was nearly a fight for the overtime in our job!

AnonoBoy

I probably didn't 'deserve' the 80k annual salary I was on as a jizz mopper but I worked hard for it I can tells ya.

fleet_admiral

AnonoBoy wrote: »

I probably didn't 'deserve' the 80k annual salary I was on as a jizz mopper but I worked hard for it I can tells ya.

Were you a fluffer on the side?

Tarzana2

This thread is just going to be all schadenfreude, gloating and bragging, isn't it?

mulbot

fm wrote: »

it's that now and more

can you pm me any companies that pay this and are looking for fitters? Thanks

MEGA BRO WOLF 5000

15 p/h working as a labourer on sites where it was common to be given up to 30 hours OT most of which came from weekends when the rate was much much higher. I remember going into the foremans office one bad week when I only got around 900 euros asking how could anyone live on this!! It was common to arrive in on Monday morning to see someone had signed you in for work all weekend meaning I already earned €300-400 before I even started work. Three cars, two motorbikes, as much disposable income as I wanted. If only I wasn't young and foolish I might actually have some of that now. Working twice as hard for half as much.

fm

mulbot wrote: »

can you pm me any companies that pay this and are looking for fitters? Thanks

Done.

FreeFallin

I remember hearing that bar staff in the UCD student bar were on €60-80k a year. No surprise it had to shut in the end if this was the case.

OneOfThem

Sh1tbag OToole wrote: »

We have all heard the stories of plumbers getting 1500 a week or more firing their change into the bin after leaving the shop with their breakfast roll and lads getting about 3 quid for every cavity block they put down but what's the most ridiculous wage for a simple job you remember from the tiger? and how are they faring now?

A lot of the people getting ridiculous wages during the tiger squandered it all on their own overpriced residential unit with f*ck off pillars outside it and a plastic Jaccuzzi for 5k that's most likely broken now.

This probably isn't what you're hoping to hear, but most of the 1500 a week throwing thier change in the bin plumbers etc I knew from back then, simply upsticked with thier significant savings to head off on an adventure after thier unfettered years of luxury here and are making even more abroad now in Australia or Canada or the middle east whilst amassing even larger savings and living an even more grandiose lifestyle. So that's nice for them.

John_Rambo

B.A._Baracus wrote: »

I assume plumbers were making good money back in the day.
As my Dad rang up a plumber to get one of the sink taps in the bathroom changed years ago. Would of been around 2003/2004 (perhaps earlier) and he got a quote for a 80 euro call out charge and parts and labor on top.
Obviously my dad felt that was well too much so he decided to do it himself. So he gets a new tap, turns off the water and busts out the spanners. Around 20 minutes later the brand new tap is working.

80 euro call out charge and what ever he would decide to charge on top of that!!!? The tap was just siezed. No water was coming out. There wasnt an emergency or anything. My Dad was just ringing up a plumber to see when he could come out and fix it.

I had an issue in my house, something similar to Dad's issue. I naturally thought the best course of action was to call a professional, and did so. A desperately hung over guy arrived (three hours late) in his Pajero and was too goosed to do the job (too goosed to drive by the smell of him). Said he'd come back later in the week with the right tools and demanded €90!! without doing anything! "Assessment and call out fee" he told me. When I refused he got aggressive and told me I'd have no problem paying a doctor to call out to me to sort out a sick child!

I had a feeling things weren't right when a tardy drunk plumber fixing a tap was comparing himself to a sober doctor attending to a sick child.

He was fairly drunk and aggressive, no problem cursing and shouting in front of the kids! I have a feeling he was on more then booze too. Thankfully our trusty (large) family dog reacted to his carry on and helped me escort him back to his Pajero! Mad situation, lots of bemused head scratching as he tore off down the road.

Sh1tbag OToole

OneOfThem wrote: »

This probably isn't what you're hoping to hear, but most of the 1500 a week throwing thier change in the bin plumbers etc I knew from back then, simply upsticked with thier significant savings to head off on an adventure after thier unfettered years of luxury here and are making even more abroad now in Australia or Canada or the middle east whilst amassing even larger savings and living an even more grandiose lifestyle. So that's nice for them.

Sure why wouldn't I be hoping to hear that? Good to see the ordinary man get ahead instead of the usual "he had it all but now it's all gone back to the bank" story you hear all the time

_Tombstone_

How the hell are these prices creeping back in?

Bonzo Delaney

donkeyoaty0099 wrote: »

And we wonder why houses are too expensive to build.

Nothing to do with the price of tradespeople be it 750€ a week or not
The standard of house built nowadays is at least four fold times of a better construction than say pre1998-2007. And this is reflected in the added cost also every stage of the construction is tested and certified for structrual and energy saving performance. Thus peace of mind for the seller and vendor. actually the tradesperson that works on a house is probably the cheapest professional on site per hour.

mfceiling

Mate of mine got a call on a Friday...1000 sterling in his hand for an 8 hour shift on Saturday...yes please!!

Eugene Norman

Sh1tbag OToole wrote: »

Sure why wouldn't I be hoping to hear that? Good to see the ordinary man get ahead instead of the usual "he had it all but now it's all gone back to the bank" story you hear all the time

Come on. Your entire OP is ridiculous wages for the little people.

JustTheOne

scwazrh wrote: »

Big rates are starting to come back again .A good few companies in dublin are now paying 750 a week take home for tradesmen .

Standard rate for a tradesperson.

It's a trade trade specialised job, its that pay because not everyone can do it.

Eugene Norman

Bonzo Delaney wrote: »

Nothing to do with the price of tradespeople be it 750€ a week or not
The standard of house built nowadays is at least four fold times of a better construction than say pre1998-2007. And this is reflected in the added cost also every stage of the construction is tested and certified for structrual and energy saving performance. Thus peace of mind for the seller and vendor. actually the tradesperson that works on a house is probably the cheapest professional on site per hour.

Do you really mean pre 1998? Really. Are you saying that boom time houses were good quality?

JustTheOne

B.A._Baracus wrote: »

I assume plumbers were making good money back in the day.
As my Dad rang up a plumber to get one of the sink taps in the bathroom changed years ago. Would of been around 2003/2004 (perhaps earlier) and he got a quote for a 80 euro call out charge and parts and labor on top.
Obviously my dad felt that was well too much so he decided to do it himself. So he gets a new tap, turns off the water and busts out the spanners. Around 20 minutes later the brand new tap is working.

80 euro call out charge and what ever he would decide to charge on top of that!!!? The tap was just siezed. No water was coming out. There wasnt an emergency or anything. My Dad was just ringing up a plumber to see when he could come out and fix it.

Ok lets take this self employed example.

Overheads.

Paye
prsi
corporation tax
Public liability
personal liability
van for tools
Tax on van
Insurance on van
Diesel for van
parts for van(service, tyres etc)
tools
overalls
Equipment
accountant fees
vat returns

On top of all that he has to make a living.

That 80 Euro covers the time it takes to get to your house.

Do you expect him to drive there for free?

With self employed its generally a 1/3 rule.

Whatever money you get about 1/3 you will keep for yourself after all your overheads.

People like yourself think he gets to just pocket the 80 Euro and whatever on top.

It just doesn't happen like that.

I had a carpenter here for 4 days last week. Paid €1400 cash.

Expensive yes, but the quality of his workmanship is outstanding. I don't mind paying extra for quality so in my eyes I got value for money.

Littlehorny

Used to take home a thousand a week as a concrete finisher, suppose there was some skill in knowing how to get a good finish on concrete floors but christ a couple of weeks at it and you were qualified

ButtersSuki

One of my favourite tales of Celtic Tiger wages was when McDonalds were featured in a number of media outlets bemoaning the fact that they couldn't fill the manger's role in their O'Connell Street branch. The salary was a mere €100,000 - that is not a typo!! I think this was circa 2004/5. I remember asking myself (and likely my mother) "why did I go to university again?".

ButtersSuki

But of a hobby horse of mine but Joe Duffy STILL (after a few cuts) takes home more than Barry O'Bama.

For a while he took home more than Grorge W and Tory Blair COMBINED.

Think about that.