Working for contractor...pay rates.

Limestone Cowboy

Limestone Cowboy

Well-Known Member
Had a bit of an argument with a friend the other evening. I spent a good few summer's after finishing school working for a contractor and always got paid by the hour and above the minimum wage at the time. My friend like a lot that are contracting is having awful trouble getting drivers at the moment but will only pay €100/day whatever a day is supposed to be. Anyway he managed to get a fella for 2 days last week to go wrapping that had worked for a different contractor in the past who had since gotten out of it, good driver and no problems with him for the two days. He did 20 hours he said and he nearly dropped when he asked him for €250 and got a bit thick with me when I said he was well entitled to it. Is it any wonder they can't get drivers. The fella doing the wrapping works in a pub aswell and gets €12/hr. Why should he spend a day slobbering at silage for any less.
 
First thing that should be taken into account here is how is the money being paid, through the proper channels or cash into the hand, paying cash into the hand is costing the contractor nearly double as it will have to come out of his income at top rate of tax.
 
Yea how it’s being paid means a lot. Also when you say he pays €100 a day no matter what does that mean that if you go at a job and comes spilling and you get 3 hours work done does he pay €100 or does it only suit him and he will give you by the hour for the short days and for the 18 hour days you still only get €100
 
I know a lad that gets €100 per day but he can get machinery to do jobs on his home farm when he wants. Only conditions being if its a digger or tractor put some diesel in it. He reckons it balances out well and sometimes more so in his favour
 
He only really wants a fella for 10 days or a fortnight when things are very busy during silage so there would be no short days under 12 hours. I assume it's either cash or a cheque. Was just annoyed after listening to him for the last 6 months giving out that he couldn't get one and to let one go then for what would amount to a few hundred euro at the end of the summer.
 
declanc304 said:
I know a lad that gets €100 per day but he can get machinery to do jobs on his home farm when he wants. Only conditions being if its a digger or tractor put some diesel in it. He reckons it balances out well and sometimes more so in his favour
Click to expand...

I was driving for a contractor for 7 summers @ €90/day, I'd get to use the loader and bale trailer or slurry tank for my own silage. It didn't bother me to ask for more money as it was sound of him to let me do that, plus i was mad for driving.

Maybe from a contractors point of view with paying drivers more, it would be different if their gear is bought and paid for or up to their eye balls in loans.
I wonder how much profit they are making per acre now as they are charging €120/€130 per acre for the last 15 years at least.
 
I done it for a few summers 10 years ago now 80 euro a day no mattter how long was the rate then. Most of the contactors around here would have young fellas for the summer and pay them by check cause they would only be working for the summer the contractor get their pps number and pays their prsi ontop of the wages theyd never earn enough to have to pay any tax.
 
The problem now is thanks to revenue you can no longer pay anyone a 100 a day lets say and put it down as casual labour. You've to get that persons pps no. and inform the revenue that he or she is working for you and your paying them x amount take home pay and the revenue will very kindly tell you how much tax you owe them then. However there's no reason you can't pay aforementioned person for the hire of a piece of machinery and pay them 100 a day all in :wink:.
 
I dont agree with a daily rate. I think you should pay a lad by the hour. No arguments or bullshit then.

100 a day for 12 hours is 8.33 an hour. That's almost 1.50 an hour less than minimum. If you've an agreement to use machinery that can be quite beneficial, of course. Out from that, it's starting to become clearer why lads are hard got.
 
What are lads getting for driving lorries. A few lads around here take a week or two off from lorries to go at silage.
 
When I was a young'un starting out I think the going rate was something like 30 quid a day and you were talking about a day back then. 18 hours was the norm and no AC, no comfy seat and a right heap of shite of a tractor to boot with a turn dial radio that would insist on loosing the station you had on just as your favourite tune was on.
 
Mf240 said:
What are lads getting for driving lorries. A few lads around here take a week or two off from lorries to go at silage.
Click to expand...

Sure I take a week off to do ploughing and sowing and two to three weeks for harvest. I must be absolutely mad :lol::lol:
 
diesel power said:
When I was a young'un starting out I think the going rate was something like 30 quid a day and you were talking about a day back then. 18 hours was the norm and no AC, no comfy seat and a right heap of shite of a tractor to boot with a turn dial radio that would insist on loosing the station you had on just as your favourite tune was on.
Click to expand...
How much porter could be bought for 30 quid then?
 
Kieran97 said:
I dont agree with a daily rate. I think you should pay a lad by the hour. No arguments or bullshit then.

100 a day for 12 hours is 8.33 an hour. That's almost 1.50 an hour less than minimum. If you've an agreement to use machinery that can be quite beneficial, of course. Out from that, it's starting to become clearer why lads are hard got.
Click to expand...

D factory where i work took on a few students for d summer theyl probably get 14 an hour where their at and possible bonuses depending on their productivity. Hard to see why a lad would go bounce around d countryside for a couple weeks if they can make that sort of coin and be guaranteed certain hours and wages will be paid on d button every week
 
diesel power said:
When I was a young'un starting out I think the going rate was something like 30 quid a day and you were talking about a day back then. 18 hours was the norm and no AC, no comfy seat and a right heap of shite of a tractor to boot with a turn dial radio that would insist on loosing the station you had on just as your favourite tune was on.
Click to expand...
FFS a radio, £18 a week but for a fiver you could put petrol in the car that did 25mpg, go 50 miles away, drink too much, pay into a function, go to the chipper afterwards and buy for 2 if you were lucky and still have change.
 
Contractor here is paying lads 400 euro a week regardless if they do 100 hours in the week.
I cannot understand how he gets lads to do it
 
johndeere6920s said:
Contractor here is paying lads 400 euro a week regardless if they do 100 hours in the week.
I cannot understand how he gets lads to do it
Click to expand...
atm i'm taking jobs as i get it whether its at home or been offered up buy my old man. things at home are going to get hectic but for me anyways, even when payment is a huge factor, boredom is another. for the past few summers, been sitting inside most days and few weeks, be out doing bales or whatever be at for a couple of days and back to nothing. there are some screeching for workers here but im honestly not sure if its worth it or not. i drew silage for 2 days a few weeks back but havent been payed as my old man offered me up and it was dads tractor and trailer i used so i'm not going to see a penny of it any time soon. same thing for when i went wrapping 300+ bales for another as i used dads tractor and wrapper. 3 main contractors around me and some others but i would have to travel a bit to get to. one, i've done a few hours of work before and didnt mind on what i got from it (€50 for 5 hours work or there abouts) and as again i wasnt sitting in boredom at home but they are family run so i dont think they be pressed for drivers. another contractor for many years been running 00 and 10 series jd's and are worse for wear be shaken to death by them. he only recently got a new tractor but the son is one who is driving that and wont let any1 near it understandably. last contractor has 2 silage kits but is known for some bs with past drivers when it came to payments and i dont want to put myself into that situation, i would have to travel for others and a lot of them when they get young lads in to draw for them use experience as an excuse for such low wages
 
diesel power said:
I could buy 80 fags and my lunch for a tenner back then. I can't remember what a pint was but not much over 2 quid if even I would guess. A tenner these days wouldn't get you 2 pints in some places now.
Click to expand...
20 pound a day to drive a bad 5000 with no doors in 1986,a pint of Carling or Harp was 1.20.
A days wages would cover a night out and change.
There were festivals in a different town or village every weekend for the summer,long days and longer nights,great crack.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top