Why cant a good experienced plumber find work in the essex area?

it winds me up. he has 25 years of experience is good at his job and yet cannot get work. do people not want qualified tradesmen anymore. is it really the influx of poles in to the country that has caused this.





we worked really hard to get out of council housing and off benefits and now we are going to lose our home cos we cant find this months rent money. we have four kids and dont claim not one benefit, yet we constantly struggle.

Why cant a good experienced plumber find work in the essex area?
sadly the poles are willing to work longer hours, for less money and be happy with it. its such a shame, because we have alot of good english tradesmen who are losing out on jobs. can your partner not perhaps train to become a plumbing teacher at a college? im from essex, and know the colchester institute has a massive trades block. they dont earn too bad, could be worth a thought. theyd love him with the amount of experience he has xxx
Reply:i am so sorry to hear about your problems getting work,but in my experience it is usually because the average british tradesmen in the uk now charge too much.I got planning permission to put an extention on my tiny bungalow(in lincolnshire) my hubby earns 5.85 per hour as a hgv driver and i havent been able to get a quote under a figure that i could build a new house with,as a result i have now put it up for sale! So maybe a reference from some one who he has done work for,an advert in the local paper.or a leaflet drop and a look at sensible charging are all good ideas. good luck anyway.
Reply:Problem caused by our Governments over many years. As they tax us more we need more wages to pay the taxes. No easy answer for questioner, too much damage now done.





Typically we now pay over to the state 35% basic (inc. NI) plus high taxes on everything. If we weren't so state controlled and bought services from private firms we would save a fortune.





Also joining the EU which is basically to give protection to a group of failing countries (France Germany UK etc ) to shield Europe from international competition has not helped.


As a result bureaucracy is costing a fortune and of course being one big "happy" group people can easily move from one country to another.





So a Polish worker can come here and work self employed, not pay taxes,not charge VAT and still make a fortune (for him) whilst seriously undercutting locals. Wouldn't you do the same if you had the chance?





I have to say the various Polish workers I have dealt with are hard grafters, polite, put long hours in and are a credit to the Polish education system, in comparison to the UK system which has failed most of us for more years than I care to think about (with no change likely in the future).





If you really want to be worried (for all of us) go to China. Their education system is superb producing 100,000's of fluent English highly skilled and motivated workers. They are VERY keen to work and are so entreprenuarial it is frightening for the future!





Moral of the UK future - get out while you can, leaving the politicians and the immigrants to it!
Reply:I didn;t realise this was happening until last week on answers when someone wrote "isn;t it wonderful being able to get a cheap Polish plumber these days".





So theres your answer.





My son-in-law is in the exact same position as your husband,he's a builder.





I dont know what the answer is to this problem for our tradesmen.





Its not a matter really of charging less,the Poles will work for next to nothing as they have only come here to earn 10k to buy a house back home,so dont need to charge as much as British plumbers need to survive, with a home,van,overheads and taxes.
Reply:get him to look into signing up with agencies. you can find them in the yellow pages. also, keep going to the job cenntre. get him to search the uk for construction companies and get him to email the company to ask if they are looking to recruit plummers and if not to leave his name and number for in the future.





keep looking in the local newspapers and also the look newspaper.





also, maybe get him to look for work further afield. i dont mean 100 miles away, but maybe out of the area and into another. if the man wants work it is out there, even if it means travelling or moving towards work,
Reply:They charge to much.