The state of the economy at the street level

[Smurf1976]

Let's go back to the thread.

+1

So far as trades are concerned, that I had a plumber in my driveway just an hour after calling last week raises a question.

Coincidence with the time I called and I just got lucky?

Or work's slowing down and not that busy?

I called a regular plumber, not one of those "emergency trades" companies that tend to charge a fortune, and wasn't expecting same day service but that's how it panned out.

 

[farmerge]

I had a fair few shocks from the electric fence. VERY high volts but very low amps, still gives you a hell of a kick.

Enough to know I never want to get belted with the mains

@wayneL been there done that.
Try holding an electric fence wire with pliers in both hands and then when you least expect it the moron at the switch turns on the power. The abuse that woman got from me over that, well she got into her car and wasn't seen again whilst I was working on that job.
You would know the site the corner of Apple Street and the Hwy

 

[Dona Ferentes]

BOT (back on thread)

New data from the Australian Securities & Investments Commission shows accommodation and food services insolvency appointments rose faster than any other sector in the 12 months to 30 June. The number of collapses skyrocketed by 50 per cent to a record 1667, compared to its previous high of 1114 in 2023.

Retail trade appointments surged by 42.2 per cent to 768. There was a 39.1 per cent jump in total insolvency appointments over the period to 11,049 – another record.

Restaurant and Catering Australia chief executive Suresh Manickam said many of his members were being squeezed from all sides during one of the toughest periods the sector has faced. As restaurant and cafe owners struggle to cope with increased operating costs, they have also been affected by weaker demand as households look to cut back on eating out.

“Higher interest rates, cost of living pressures on the up, more expensive produce and the cost of energy are all having an impact,” he said. “Compared to this time last year, people have less money in their pockets and a reduced ability to pay and go out, and there lies the problem the sector is facing.”

Recent data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics showed monthly household spending in hotels, cafes and restaurants has declined 13 per cent since the end of 2023, outpacing the broader fall in spending.

 

[TimeISmoney]

You are onto something, you have to make sure you do not freeze into contact.
That is indeed true, same for ladder, wet feet etc.
Never expect power not to be on, so always check, ideally with phase tester.
When just zapped with 250v, not worse than my cattle electric fences
Basically, my issue is we are in a country where a company is found guilty and fined heavily if an employee who should know better, an electrician,even an apprentice , get zapped, but in the same years we have a government forcing a medical experiment killing conservatively 10k to 15,000 australian in a year (extra death 2022) and it is supposed to be ok and no one has been fined, let alone jailed
That's all.
Let's go back to the thread.

It's like this, drunk old Freddie who doesn't have a mechanical bone in his body can work on a school bus, install brakes and almost kill 20 school kids and it's looked as poor bloke just trying to make a living, engineer Tom installs a GPO and his neighbour reports him and he almost goes to jail.

They had a strong electrical union years ago, that's why they're overpaid monkeys who think they are God's gift.

 

[wayneL]

We had some work being done on our Land Rover last week. The owner of the business was whinging about being able to get tradesmen, especially auto electricians... Minor electrical issue could not even be fixed because just can't get guys. Also keeps losing people to the minds having completed their apprenticeship with him they just nick off up north FIFOing.

It's the same thing in my trade, it is virtually impossible to find and keep people in the trade, as I have mentioned before.

Possibly a Western Australian issue because of the huge mining industry here, but I can tell you that people in general are getting pretty naffed off about the difficulty of getting anything done here.

 

[JohnDe]

Road repair in front of new townhouses. Laying bitumen 6m x 2m

The yellow high vis are the safety watchers, they keep an eye out on external safety factors like traffic.

The orange high vis are the workers preparing and laying.

 

[farmerge]

Road repair in front of new townhouses. Laying bitumen 6m x 2m

The yellow high vis are the safety watchers, they keep an eye out on external safety factors like traffic.

The orange high vis are the workers preparing and laying.

Appears to be plenty of chiefs and not too many indians.

 

[JohnDe]

Appears to be plenty of chiefs and not too many indians.

Yes, and that is part of the problem with the economy. Poor productivity leads to higher costs and inflation.

 

[farmerge]

Yes, and that is part of the problem with the economy. Poor productivity leads to higher costs and inflation.

My enterprise has been reduced is a one man show thse days with She Who is never Wrong as the back-up transport officer. Still doing the work of 3 though.

 

[Garpal Gumnut]

Road repair in front of new townhouses. Laying bitumen 6m x 2m

The yellow high vis are the safety watchers, they keep an eye out on external safety factors like traffic.

The orange high vis are the workers preparing and laying.

I call this dunny economics. Note the large yellow convenience for the colonic workers.

gg

 

[bux2000]

Possibly a Western Australian issue because of the huge mining industry here, but I can tell you that people in general are getting pretty naffed off about the difficulty of getting anything done here.

Surely ........ by importing more people all our problems will be solved .

bux

 

[moXJO]

Road repair in front of new townhouses. Laying bitumen 6m x 2m

The yellow high vis are the safety watchers, they keep an eye out on external safety factors like traffic.

The orange high vis are the workers preparing and laying.

I'd do this when I overcharged on a job. Bring way too many guys to justify the price.

 

[Knobby22]

We are making someone redundant and no pay rises this year.
It is getting tougher but the screws are tightening very slowly. I reckon we won't have an inflation problem in 12 months and will be in recession.
Designers always see it first.

 

[JohnDe]

We are making someone redundant and no pay rises this year.
It is getting tougher but the screws are tightening very slowly. I reckon we won't have an inflation problem in 12 months and will be in recession.
Designers always see it first.

Tell that to the builders union and the warfies

 

[qldfrog]

We are making someone redundant and no pay rises this year.
It is getting tougher but the screws are tightening very slowly. I reckon we won't have an inflation problem in 12 months and will be in recession.
Designers always see it first.

Are you a designer @Knobby22 ?
Not fashion i guess?

 

[Knobby22]

Are you a designer @Knobby22 ?
Not fashion i guess?

Electrical Engineer (Buildings) / Lighting Designer (Sports, Roads and Landscape).

 

[moXJO]

I'm noticing micro bars are going under pretty quickly at the moment.

 

[basilio]

May as well drop this here. State of the economy and all that ..

 

[investor13]

We had some work being done on our Land Rover last week. The owner of the business was whinging about being able to get tradesmen, especially auto electricians... Minor electrical issue could not even be fixed because just can't get guys. Also keeps losing people to the minds having completed their apprenticeship with him they just nick off up north FIFOing.

It's the same thing in my trade, it is virtually impossible to find and keep people in the trade, as I have mentioned before.

Possibly a Western Australian issue because of the huge mining industry here, but I can tell you that people in general are getting pretty naffed off about the difficulty of getting anything done here.

being a Tradesman in Mining for the past 20 years, i can tell you that the mining companies havent trained any one for the past decade, when the work place industerial laws changed under Rudd, it was similar to Howards just re branded, it alowed compamnies to0 go away from enterprise agreements and abuse causal labour, the the completion rates for apprentices now days is low and people staying in the trades is low also & rther majority of apprentices they put on are to tick boxes

 

[Dona Ferentes]

Australian Bureau of Statistics figures show the number of people employed in the WA resources sector has fallen 18 per cent over the past year to 144,900. The plunge in jobs follows several years of growth and has been cushioned by gold prices hovering at record highs.