Quote Originally Posted by Once U shop, U can't stop View Post
My friend, what is happening right at this moment is that the self-employed artisans are calling the shots. The economic balance has shifted again. I recently asked for four quotes for a boiler and gas fire replacement - three from s/e individuals. Two didn't bother to come despite being chased (including one guy who had serviced our central heating for years). The other said he couldn't quote as he could only do the work in the new year and didn't know what the prices would be. Fair enough - I get this, but what I see is an empowered work force who think they can get away with poor service.

And, if you’d have read my initial post, is the crux of the matter, I said that, ironically, Thatcher’s plans have come back and bit them on the arse. Her plans, which employers at the time followed, was boom & bust. They made hay at the time with their cost cutting, no investment in training youngsters in bona fide long term apprenticeships, six month crash courses were created = hopeless, barely qualified operatives. Now as a result tradesmen like me, and yes, I will blow my own trumpet, are thin on the ground and people like you who require our quality services are paying ridiculous money. Or you pay for duff service and dig a bigger hole for yourself. It’s all down to that woman’s policies. Now that Brexit has and will deprive the UK of quality tradespeople from countries who realised that properly training youngsters was the proper way to continue the production line of skill, we fear for the construction trade in this country once we're dead & gone. Long term that cow’s policies has ruined the country, ok I’m doing ok, sometimes putting in ridiculous prices and still winning the contracts and in mitigation I keep telling myself this was why I did 4 years learning my trade. That woman and her government sowed the seeds of this, so short term vision, ridiculous. Anyway, I’m coming up 67 and I’m going to continue to milk it and why not, that c*nt Thatcher would no doubt be proud of me. P.S. I do reduced rates for proper Socialists, Blairites can piss off.