Tradesmen salaries

[Isetech]

As we all know from the old apprenticeship days, right from the start your salary was determined by your school grade. With only a standard 8 my starting salary (R80 per month) was way lower than a person with a matric.

Until you qualified, the matric appy always earned more than the fools with std 8, even though we sat in the same class learning the same stuff and at the end doing the same tests.

It it works like that in all types of employment, if you are a manager and dont have a degree, your salary will be a lot less. A manger with a degree could be earning as much as R50 000 more than the idiot doing the same job without the degree. Let the idiot go get the piece of paper (degree) the idiot (now the smart person) even though the position is exactly the same will double if not triple their salary the day the piece of paper is handed to HR.

Because of this, many parents who dont want their kids to battle like they did earning crap salaries have burnt the midnight oil to make sure their kids get a proper education (degree), has it improved their life, for some maybe, but in reality we now sit with hundreds of thousands people with degrees and no jobs for them.

We also sit with a world wide skills shortage, because nobody want to work 12 hours shift hard physical labour jobs busting their backside off for peanuts.

The right solution would be to improve the tradies salary, make it more attractive for youngsters to have to work in the crap conditions we are expected to work in.

You have some smart person who has never sweated a day at work, sitting in an air-conditioned office all day, writing a bunch of safety regulations for an industry he has never worked in, its a joke.

[Blurock]

True, but an apprentice should understand that he's being paid while learning. A college or university student has to pay for his studies and does not earn anything. Once qualified, and a registered artisan, you can start your own business and earn more than the degreed penpusher.

It is true that people with papers earn more. I've never had the opportunity to go to university and was screwed salary wise all the time. Internal courses and achievements mean very little as your formal education is held as an excuse to pay you less than the pretender with the degrees. When I made my MBA I was given a 30% increase, only to find that I am now on par with my peers. I resigned shortly after to start my own business and have never looked back. The guy in the mirror is a hard master, but at least he is fair.

[Isetech]

The one good thing about being self employed, if you have the confidence and realize your worth the sky is the limit.

To charge R10 000 per day and get the company you doing work and they cover your your accommodation isn't that much when you are involved in projects over R10 bar and the penalties are R100 k per day that the project is not completed.

To earn that kind of money you to have a reputation for getting the job done and be doing work that requires a certain level of expertise, expecting R50 a month for doing solar installations for example which can be done by DIYer, once you have completed 2 or 3 its just the same thing over and over, hence the quotes for R20k for a complete project including labour and a COC. Its just the electrical industry that is trying to get a piece of the action, hence the push to prevent green cards installers signing of the projects. Don't tell me the elctrical industry does a better job.

I suppose the electrical is lowest paid tradies because they dont really deserve much more than they get paid, you just have to look at the standard of work. It wont take long before electricians, alarm, CCTV, electric fence, gate and solar installers will be at same level. You just have to climb in the roof of any domestic installation to see why, you cant tell the difference between the alarm, camera and elctrical wires

[Dylboy]

Finding it very difficult at the moment, well for awhile. My quotes are always beaten when quoting for a prospective client.

The ones I get is through word of mouth. They also always ask can you do better and the answer is no as then something has to give.

What I have picked up on though is that there are now sparkies with an extra team or two. So they basically quote low to get it the work and a small amount of profit but do a sort of hit and run job. So the quality is low to try maximise profit. It's a numbers game for them now so having 2 teams with as many jobs as they can take on and get done quickly.

End of the day the price is driven low, the quality is then poor as well. So when I come along saying I will be a bit longer time frame and my price is more then I get the cold shoulder.

Look painting a broad brush but it's what I am picking up on.

I don't have big jobs or big clients so I am very much a domestic spark still. Getting the big fish takes time in the industry.

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[Isetech]

At the rates electrical contractors work for, who can afford a bakkie in this day and age, you need a residual, then a payment plan with another residual.

It is time for me to invest in a new vehicle, had a look at the price to replace my vehicle, just over a million bucks At the rates electrical contractors charge, you can understand why most small electrical contractors cant afford decent bakkie. Why use a registered elctrical company when you can get card board electricians at a fraction of the price and now you can get a green card and charge more than a cardboard electrician and call yourself "an installer"

I have less than 2 years, then it time to make a a lot of changes. I have proved my point achieved a goal I didn't think I could and not many other the Tee shirt, I will start wearing. I am surprised I ahev mad eit this far, looking at how the industry is winning the race to the bottom.

[skatingsparks]

At the rates electrical contractors work for, who can afford a bakkie in this day and age, you need a residual, then a payment plan with another residual.

Yep. I bought a Nissan NV350 panel van in 2015 for R212000 from nissan with 12000 on the clock after working out of a nissan hardbody for a few years.

If I lose that van it's game over. I could NEVER afford a similar vehicle today not even in the ball park.
I took a gamble back then, put a deposit down and threw everything I earned at it to pay it off just before vehicle prices went crazy.

Recently took another gamble on a Suzuki E Eco - needed second vehicle because the km's on the Nissan were getting high, it's way cheaper on fuel and having my guys on site whilst driving around in a big mobile tool/material store wasn't working

It's not paying off. Can't really make it worth it paying off the cheapest van on the market.

Running cost in SA are to high to make it worth it.

Just came back from the UK - they claim it's tough times.
They also claim that 4 down lights, a pull cord switch and fitting an extractor fan in hole pre drilled by the builder is 500 pounds (R11500). Just connecting a cooker is R1400 - R1500 if local.
Full rewire that side 3 bed, 4 - 6 down lights per room, average 4 sockets per room quotes were between R120000 and R140000.
I'll just grab my passport...

[Isetech]

Someone asked me how things are going this week,

my response, as always, "banging it, cant handle all the work"

their response, "you lucky everyone seems to be battling, the economy is terrible at the moment"

To most it is, how do I know, because sales reps are calling, and prices are dropping even though there is no change in the exchange rate, the ques are shorter at the stores, suppliers are calling for payments the day after they send the statement (the balance is low).

It cant be, people are still buying sports cars (seems to be what people who think they need to show off their richness), its the people who have been taught to do things in a specific way, with a business plan where you have to stick to the rules and do things by the same book that everyone reads, with such a massive fail rate.

I looked it the mirror this morning and wondered how the F%^& I am doing it, it certainly cant be my attitude at the moment (as I am sure you have picked up by my content, at least its always real, not content posted by a make everyone feel good team) , it cant be the way I present myself to the world ( I look like shyte, people dont take fat people seriously), so why do I have so much work?

The best thing I did for my little business was get rid of negative customers and there been a few and yes they did impact my monthly turnover. It seemed liked a really bad idea at the time, I dropped customers who were 20-50K per month regulars, did my little operation close doors, no. I adjust accordingly, something most small business haven't learnt how to do.

You want to grow a business, its not about having the best business plan, being the best sparkie or having a trust fund that daddy left me, in fact the only thing my daddy left me, was the will to get up and prove to everyone I can do anything I set my mind to do, trust my word is worth more than any piece of paper and integrity and always finish what you start, no matter the financial consequences.

Last week I lost more than R20k because I committed to something and the obstacles proved to be more than I could handle, did I loose, certainly not. maybe in the short term, but over time it will be written off in the school fees.

[Blurock]

Agreed, don't chase for business, rather retain good customers.
Do business on your terms and never compromise on your values.

[Derlyn]

Agreed, don't chase for business, rather retain good customers.
Do business on your terms and never compromise on your values.

Agree 100%.

I find at least 40% start off being good customers, but as time goes by they expect more services for less money.

That's the time when your communication skills are put to the test.

It's a delicate business that has to be done in such a way that the client is not offended in any way, but understands your position and remains a good client.

Yep, sometimes easier said than done, but those who do not understand, in my book, get dropped before they become a liability.

[Sparks]

Agreed, don't chase for business, rather retain good customers.
Do business on your terms and never compromise on your values.

I fully agree. By me the client is never right. I am the one who still after decades studies and keeps up with the regs. I am the one taking responsibility for the client's safety and that of his family, pets and property. If he does not like what I say or charge, he can find a fool to bend to his will. I maintain that electricity is the worst kind of dog you can get, you cannot see, hear or smell it, but when it bites, you will have a funeral. I stopped advertising a long time ago, I have more work that I care for, I want to stop working but clients who have been with me for what seems like forever are hard to say now to. Being appreciated by clients is rare, but deliver good service and they will remember you and always come back with their friends and family.