Good job this is a virtual pub Plouasne, because i'd hate to be sat next to you in my local pub. You dont half bang on about bloody France.
For the simple fact that you lot still have a lot to learn, about plumbing, the UK stood back when there was a chance to get to grips with new standards coming through, with the joining of the EU, but no the UK's attitude was we know best, and only half hearted played by the rules, (until it helped big business, sort out the little boys, then they gold plated them, to drive the little 'uns out of business)
Once I was British and proud of being so, even fought for queen and country, for me the rot set in when "uncle harold" and the "red pig castle", came to power, (the start of short time trade training) the final nail in the coffin was driven home by that "cow thatcher" ("we" can teach all "they" need to know to do their piece of work in 6 weeks; if they need to know more "we" can teach them some more), you will note the word "We" that cow looked down on skilled manual workers, and just about killed the country, [may she boil in hell, when she gets there, but please dear lord, let her go completely ga-ga first ]
The difference between a trades man and a crafts man ??,
Simple the trades man uses the back entrance, the Crafts man, walks up to the front door to the big house, and knocks on the door
, and walks away if told to use the back entrance, I did, the old Duke implored me to come in and unblock their kitchen waste
An anecdote from the time of the red pig, plumbers were classed with all other building trades, 1967/8 pay round, it was agreed by both sides (union & employers) that tuppence ha'penny was the right increase in the wages, that cow stuck her oar in and said NO TOO MUCH, after 3 months, haggling, she cut the pay increase down to three farthings !!, then to rub salt into the wounds so to speak, she ordered the fitters (who were on a shilling an hour difference higher than plumbers) to be paid an extra "tanner" (6p) an hour when both unions and employers said that it was not needed
After interfering in the aircraft making business, and just about killing it dead, she and the rest of that useless mob, turned their attention to the motor industry, talk about Stalinist there will only be one standard bus (4 models short or long, single or double deck) built by one company, she then gave that company a contract to build rail cars to feed the main line, that was an even bigger farce, single axle wheels (no bogies that could turn) at each end of the rail car, result on tight radius bends the wheel flange bit into the rail with a very loud screaming rails had to be constantly replaced (ref the Looe line in Cornwall), also no sand pipe to help the wheel get a grip on wet icy or rails, it was suggested that the driver has a sand bucket in the cab and hand sands the rail ahead of the train
Sorry lads the country I was once proud of has gone to the dogs, in a big way, the only thing that will help you get out of the "Merde", is to organise in a big way
Push for licensing of plumbers, and make it a profession (spark as well) to be on a par with accountants etc
Refuse to fit what the client has brought at the same price as you can purchase the same for, unless there is a mark up to replace your lost profit, get together, and bulk buy (take your trade to a merchant who will deal with a consortium of plumbers, and give an extra discount) shop the dodgy diy gas fitter/sparks, THEY ARE STEALING your trade, also shop the "black worker, THEY ARE STEALING BOTH FROM YOU AND THE GOVERNMENT (no tax paid by them = more tax paid by you, to make up the short fall)
A normal plumber doing new work and repairs in France, has to juggle more than one site, because the tax man wants his cut even if you haven't earn't any, this applies to the self employed
I have included a typical French wage slip
French wage slip, remember tax is not included, this is paid towards the end of the year after you have returned the tax form
Deductions in percentages of total wages employee first, employer next, looks like the page has got messed up, where there are just numbers, each represent a percentage the boss pays, based on what you earn, it works out that the boss pays out between 40 and 50% of what you earn to the state, the hourly rate charged out is around 30 to 40€/hr, and a plumber / electrician will earn between 10€ (a bit low) to 15€ ( a top rate tradesman)/hr
Social security sickness: 0.750 12.8
SS widows: 0.10
SS Old age: 6.5 8.20
SS 1.60
SS 5.40
0.167
0.40
0.10
2.50
Pension 0.80 1.20
Pension 3.75 3.75
0.25 0.25
0.10 0.15
0.90
Unemployment 2.40 4.00
0.45
8.00
French income tax is difficult to emplane, but its based on the number of persons in the family, because my partner is classed as handicapped, we get another half part added to the the number of persons, making 21/2 parts
The amount you are allowed before paying tax, is quite good, the threshold when tax starts to come in
1 part = 11080€
11/2 part = 14006€
2 parts = 16932€
21/2 parts = 19858€
51/2 parts = 37414€
There are no speculative house builder in France, its see a plot, on an estate, chose your own design (or design it yourself if under 170mt² total plan area, no architect needed), chose your own builder, chose your own trades people, or you can buy a plot and have a house built for you
Building plots can be on an estate with plots laid out, road sub base in, services to the plot boundary) or individual plots, a 4 bed house built out of concrete blocks ready for decoration, excluding the services connections can be brought for 60000€
So you can see that there is no going from one house to another, like house bashing in the UK, and it does mean that you have to juggle with about 6 months work ahead of you, at all times, saying this I did know of a plumber who wanted subsistence money if he was going to do a job 30 miles away from his yard
