Tradesmen or maybe not

Hi all,

Why do we outsource so much trade related work to civvy contractors?

I came back from a tour once only to find that the block had flooded with turds while we were away.

We had guys wanting to fix the bogs who were plumbers by trade, but weren't allowed to touch the toilets because it was a civvy's responsibilty and god help us if we did.

It always gets me why we have to send our guys on trade refresher training every time they go on tour.
They should be doing this sort of thing all the time and I don't just mean building unloading bays/barbeques/plynths for Sqn plaques as a favour for someone.

We should have tradesmen that work on rotation through a garrison support unit and not pay through the nose for civvies.

 

The reasons could be many, including that like many other cap badges there are too many deployments for the available units. Many of the Engineer units don't have the manpower to look after the equipment it has, while at the same time doing pre-tour trg, tours and then fitting in the leave and required career courses. adding time to practice trades unless they are going to be needed is just a waste of time.

Trade fade is one aspect that the people in Whitehall don't like to bother about because its easier to have engineer works and articifer trade trg seperate. Sh*t they are under different budgets! You'll cause no end of paperwork and problems if you try to mix them.

Another reason is that it may be deemed as logical, and as such wouldn't fit in to the 'suits' method of operation. If in fact its even in their dictionary.

 "Cinic alert! Cinic alert!"  

 

The reason you can't touch the stuff the civvy contractors do is because of warranties. contracts and probably health and safety. Civvy industry is currently crying out for tradesmen. For example a shuttering carpenter will earn about £120/day on a civilian site. I think that there should be some kind of "work experience" so that corps tradesmen can work in industry for a short time, learn new skills and keep practiced in existing ones. It would be excellent for keeping on top of the trade which hasn't been touched since the A1. It would also show people that the grass is not always greener on the other side..... 12hr days with 2 x 1/2 hr breaks are the norm these days in civvy construction.

 

:-/Or maybe it would actually cost more for an RE to try and fix something.
In my experience RE's are a bit like someone who has just past their driving test. They are still a crap driver and it's not until after you pass that you start to learn anything.
So in other words the goverment spend a fortune on training these people and then never let them learn anything.

Ex Bricky
???

 

mick-yuore absolutely correct[ex thicky bricky myself] when i came to states realised my brickying was woefully inadequate so became an iron worker post tension rebar etc-the only way the corps is gonna get top notch tradesmen is to send them on a civvy site for their whole course

 

I was told it was because it takes away trade from the local community.

funnily enough, it didn't stop RHQ from tasking our chippies and painters to refurb the offrs mess summer bar.

 

Wish they'd get rid of C-O-W's in favour of civvies....

 

Funnly enough I brought this up when based in Madstone with the Sappers.

The mess was having a new brick plinth thingy at the front to place a WO & Sgt's Mess sign on. At the mess meeting I was informed that the MOD has to put all Civil works to tender.

As an answer I said why dont you put in a tender as the costwould be less but that it would be seen as 'insider' trading as it were and we /they could not do it.

Still the fcuker asked us 'Sigs' to sort out the sat dish for free.

So there yo go tender to civil works. SO

Why not request permission from your CO to have a secondary job. If granted start a firm doing what is needed at the time. Employ a few sappers and make a few bob .