Agency work

**Dillon** · 09-03-2015, 12:34 PM

For the second week running I have signed up for work with an agency advertising on the Dot Gov web site and in both cases after I have turned down other work the jobs were cancelled. Last week I just got a text and Today I turned up for 3 weeks work only to be told we are all done here but could probably give you a day. On Friday I turned down price work because of this promise of 3 weeks. So far I estimate im out of pocket close on £4000 in lost wages and more if you include the work that I have missed out on. Todays job was asking for four men for three weeks so its a good job I didn't put a team together or I would be lumbered with a wage bill too.

**Dillon** · 30-03-2015, 06:44 PM

So I get another call from a different agency and turn up today and low and behold all is as it should be, so I go in to find they are using Knauf gear they have filler in bags and ready mix joint cement, they have a foreign guy all ready started and guess what.................Yep he is using the cement to bed on and first coat and finishing with the filler. You got to laugh don't you, cant wait to see how he gets on sanding it being as he doesn't even have an Idiot stick.

**TonyM** · 30-03-2015, 07:22 PM

How are you 'out of pocket' and why would you be lumbered with a wages bill if you didn't do any work? Surely you would choose pricework over agency work, every time.
I turned a massive house down last week, but i'm not £15k out of pocket.

**Dillon** · 30-03-2015, 08:20 PM

Im out of pocket Tony because Im out of work because they sent me to a job that didn't exist. I had all ready turned down work to do it and didn't manage to find some more till the Thursday.

To answer your other question I went for the agency Job because they offered me a good rate and it was three weeks steady work against house bashing at a very low rate following terrible boarding where I was earning not more than day work money any way.

If I had found another 3 guys to work for me and turned up with them to find there was no job, Unlike the agency I would have felt obliged to compensate them for wasting their time. Back in the day when I used to have guys working for me and on the rare occasions we got to a job to find it was not ready or something I would all ways pay them for the day.

**Dillon** · 30-03-2015, 08:22 PM

Originally Posted by TonyM

I turned a massive house down last week, but i'm not £15k out of pocket.

The difference is YOU turned it down you didn't turn up expecting to earn 15k and having cleared 3 weeks to do it only to find that it had all been done.

**TonyM** · 30-03-2015, 08:33 PM

I have always been under the impression that agencies only ever paid daywork, and about £15 if you're lucky. Also, why not use your boxes if you're on daywork. Surely work is work?

**Dillon** · 30-03-2015, 08:45 PM

Right again Tony I wouldn't normally use my Boxes, But first im interested to see how this ready mix stuff goes through them and second .....well I'll Pm you the second.

**wallpaul** · 31-03-2015, 02:36 PM

Is the ready mix in the red & white buckets???
if so it is not so bad to use just add very little water when giving it a spin.
it has some sort of grit in the mix??? still sands up okay!
As with all knauff gear the best bit is the empty bucket!!!

**Dillon** · 31-03-2015, 06:17 PM

No Mate this has a Blue lid, I boxed it on today and absolutely loved it, as you said add a little water and spin. Going to do the internals tomorrow then will see how it sands up.

**E.K Taper** · 01-04-2015, 09:56 PM

Originally Posted by Dillon

So I get another call from a different agency and turn up today and low and behold all is as it should be, so I go in to find they are using Knauf gear they have filler in bags and ready mix joint cement, they have a foreign guy all ready started and guess what.................Yep he is using the cement to bed on and first coat and finishing with the filler. You got to laugh don't you, cant wait to see how he gets on sanding it being as he doesn't even have an Idiot stick.

We all know what's gonna happen here......
Johnny Foreigner's getting the bullet cos he's messed up big time...... and you're getting left with his Sanding!!!!

**Dillon** · 02-04-2015, 05:26 AM

Oh contraire E.K, Today is my last day because Im away on holiday tomorrow and I will have all the jointing done so Johnny is doing ALL the sanding. I have gone over all his Filler top coat (still makes me smile) with joint cement and If I say so myself the rest has turned out real pucker with my new found love (ready mix). Mind you some of the joints are a meter wide now.