The joys of being a "Subby"

**buggerlugs** · 10-04-2010, 08:04 AM

http://www.sunshinecoastdaily.com.au...pe-firm-folds/
Just woke up and read this in the local rag. I feel so sorry for the workers. They are a great bunch of blokes. Done my dough there. Probly get 2 cents in the dollar..........again. Up here we are having business's going into receivership weekly. Any other subbies getting stung ?

mr smith · 10-04-2010, 11:08 AM

And were being told the economy is booming. My industry down in Vic is shedding jobs as well. 150 people in my department 18 months ago is down to 35!

**buggerlugs** · 10-04-2010, 11:59 AM

Yep, another one up here at Cooroy, the local brickwork factory that has been here since the 50's has just shut it's doors. 38 out of a job........

castellan · 10-04-2010, 01:18 PM

Yep! nothing new.
That's just the way 'this' capitalist system works.
But i like the way some :alien2: knows he is going under and will happily just stand by watching or try to get the subcontractors to keep pushing on for a few more weeks.
And then when he has gone down. he is so upset about his own situation that the others he has screwed don't mean jack.
But how many times do you see them lose everything. but they just know to play the game. and still have plenty of assets.
I know plenty of this type of :alien2: and they do despise the people who they have ripped off.
And as every year goes by they learn more tricks.
So who is the fool.

BIGJB · 10-04-2010, 03:21 PM

Yeah it's the same here, since we opened our doors 16months ago I have seen
at least a dozen around me fall over and even more that are just hanging in there
if the local rumour mill is anything to go by.
God knows we have come close ourselves a few times. Companies that always paid by the 20th
of the month are now taking until the 30th (and thats the ones who haven't gone bust beforepaying us)
in some cases which of course means some of our payments run late as a result of it.
It's just a vicious circle we are running around in atm. But the way I see it those of us
that can pull through it will come out the other side twice as strong with half the competition.

GK351 · 10-04-2010, 03:35 PM

This sickens me to death,
I have been stung as a plumber and i have been stung with my tip trucks.

Even on govt jobs like the desalination plant, 'Tip fast' was the main bulk haulage contractor contracted to john holland and had well over 20 truck and dogs of their own, 15+ truck subbies lost big time, let alone fuel companies tyre blokes hydraulic fitting blokes, tips, the whole works. Union cant to nothing, john holland dont want to know about it because they arnt at fault, tip fast went under due to a qld job gone wrong.
I had always thought subbieing through a main contractor on a govt job is safe.
Not anymore.
Union want your money when on a govt job but dont want to know you when you go to them for help. Full of promises like the current govt in nsw but wont deliver.

If i dont know a company im working for i will sit at home and be able to sleep at night.

**buggerlugs** · 10-04-2010, 03:41 PM

I have 2 long term customers, big companies, that in the last 6 months have sent letters out stating that terms will be 60 days not 30 and if you don't like it, bye bye.....

GK351 · 10-04-2010, 03:49 PM

Good luck if you can get it, 30 days is good, 45 borderline, anything more and you will be always play catch-up.. in my case anyway.

I have done real estate rental work as a plumber and invoices are dated as long as 180+ days before i get paid. And they work through a trust fund. Countless reminders. still nothing. (not all agencies) most pay EOM.

Once it goes to 365 if i havnt been paid i'll go strip the work i done out and stuff them.
Its my material that will be not much use anyway & i lose on the labour but hopefully they learn their lesson and treat repair contractors with more respect next time.

BIGJB · 10-04-2010, 04:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GK351

I have done real estate rental work as a plumber and invoices are dated as long as 180+ days before i get paid. And they work through a trust fund. Countless reminders. still nothing. (not all agencies) most pay EOM.

Oh don't even get me started on rental properties.
Any one would think the staff are paying for it out of their own pocket. It's like trying to get blood out
of a stone. I think our average is about 90 days for most of these to pay up.
I have started now charging interest on some of our accounts, once it is 7 days late
I charge 20% on the principal amout every 7 calander days until it is 60days overdue
and than a hand it over to debt collector. I don't do this to businesses as most
of us are in the same situation but private ones get charges.

302 XC · 10-04-2010, 06:35 PM

the old company i worked at used to run accounts out to 180 days !!!
the boss would pay to who ever yelled the loudest
and only pay the minimum he could
he ran the whole business on everyone elses money
he went broke of course,but never paid all of his creditors
its people like him (and plenty others)who make it real hard for small businesses to survive
im pretty sure that its now called fraud if u know your goin down the gurgler and keep running up accounts ???
i dont have any respect for him or others like him
as mentioned above , once a business has a trust fund as such,aint that a pain to get your money
it was also a way people could get around being chased for money

T2TE50,
understand your logic with late accounts
but why do people employ or contract work knowing full well they cant pay

tweeked · 12-04-2010, 05:06 PM

Trading while insolvent should be treated the same as theft. Until society sees it this way, crooked directors will continue to drive away in their Merc's from their obligations. They should go to jail.

CAMS290 · 12-04-2010, 07:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GK351

This sickens me to death,
I have been stung as a plumber and i have been stung with my tip trucks.

Even on govt jobs like the desalination plant, 'Tip fast' was the main bulk haulage contractor contracted to john holland and had well over 20 truck and dogs of their own, 15+ truck subbies lost big time, let alone fuel companies tyre blokes hydraulic fitting blokes, tips, the whole works. Union cant to nothing, john holland dont want to know about it because they arnt at fault, tip fast went under due to a qld job gone wrong.
I had always thought subbieing through a main contractor on a govt job is safe.
Not anymore.
Union want your money when on a govt job but dont want to know you when you go to them for help. Full of promises like the current govt in nsw but wont deliver.

If i dont know a company im working for i will sit at home and be able to sleep at night.

Yep and these plant hire companies drive down the hourly hire rate just to get the job when things go quiet.
Truck and dog rate here at the moment is $82 p/hour to the subby, how the F are you meant to run and pay and keep your vehicle safe and road worthy with rates like that ?

I work for a large national quarry company and our rates are adjusted accordingly with CPI and cost modelling, ie fuel, tyres etc.....