hi guys, quite right Craftsman, just because we  became plumbers/gasfitters/drainlayers, it did not mean that we could  have the wool pulled over our eyes by people who think that they are better than us,cheers

hi guys, yes Badger i saw the video of the speech.
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as a matter of interest if you were solely a drainlayer, why should you be made to be concerned and pay for  plumbing and gasfitting issues? and visa-versa the same would apply if your trade is only one of the other trades.
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when i did my apprenticeship all three trades were in it under plumbing, now they have been split up to make us require seperate licences, so they split them up to gain an advantage but want to combine them to fund all the trades problems, just dose`nt seem right, bit of fancy accounting going on here,cheers

Hi Badger - I was at a meeting similar to that where that idea was floated and I thought it was a dreadful idea, and would only serve to dumb down the industry.  I can't see how it would benefit larger firms other than get people trained to a so called "standard" faster - i.e. if you had to train an under slab plumber - then it would not take 8000 hours.  If I recall the idea came from Australia and the government were in favour of it as it would process apprentices through much faster.  A large firm wants staff that are multiskilled no underskilled.  And in all fairness on this one - Master Plumbers were hugely opposed to the idea - it would not benefit them or their members to see people coming in to the trade underbaked - it simply puts jobs at risk.  I also remember the discussion being - that there is no way an "underslab" plumber wouldn't have a crack at fitting out etc and vice versa, so all we would be doing is making problems.  You can bet it will raise its head with Chch if the pressure comes on - it was last discussed during the skills shortage as a way of getting more tradesmen quickly.

The same people are there because the members vote them in.  That and no one new puts themselves forward.  I would be interested to see the % of membership that vote.  The only way to see change is for people to put themselves forward - not just once, but several times.  That and it should be compulsory to vote - all members should have to vote as part of their membership agreement.