Builders want more money

Tradesmen in the Shetland Islands are currently in talks with the council over what they see as miserable wages and conditions.

Some 90 skilled tradesmen work for the council and claim they are paid less than unskilled workers who get jobs straight after school. The average hourly rate for a joiner, for example, is £7.59 while for an electrician it is £8.50 to £8.80.

One worker spoke anonymously to his local newspaper the Shetland Times, explaining: "We work 37 hours and on lower pay. That''s pretty dire, I think. The men''s morale up there is absolutely devastated. I''ve never seen it that bad."

They are demanding a pay rise because many tradesmen are having to leave the council to get jobs in private firms as road foremen so they will be paid more.

According to the Department of Trade and Industry, botched jobs by builders affect around 160,000 of home owners around the UK and official complaints are growing at around five per cent.

You can find a reputable builder through the Federation of Master Builders which is a not-for-profit organisation with builders signed up as agreeing to its code of conduct.


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