[Windae Cleaner]

How many of us in Scotland have a window cleaning licence as required by most Local Authourities ?
If you have any other comments to make about this please do so.

Paul

[H h20]

Why is the law so strict about window cleaners in Scotland and so different in England,what difference does it make,will it become law in England to have a licence,Gaz.

[Sarah Sarill]

I would welcome these licences because it would ensure a standard throughout the industry.  By standard I mean fully insured, registered with the IR etc etc.

Historically our industry has been a magnet for seasonal and undeclared w/c which impacts on every legitimate w/c company.  Demand for licences w/c's  would be higher and eventually would be more profitable as we could demand higher prices.

I have nothing to fear from licencing as,like most guys on this forum, run a fairly tight ship by conforming to everything expected of us.

Bring it on I say.

Regards,

Sarah

[H h20]

Well done Sarah,thats the exact answer i wanted to read,i second your opion,we need to make this profession a well respected one and keep all those flyby nights out,Gaz.

[gaza]

I third it,motion passed licences for all w/c ,max sentence  should be £1500 fine or to watch a week of coro and Eastenders.

SERIOUS NOW:I wouldnt mind using the licence to prove your a pro w/c £200 for 2 yrs licence thats two squid a week,with a training day with a h/s/e rep.it would give the council the power to work the same way as licences for Taxi drivers,except no police
checking your vechicle.

  GAZA

[Sarah Sarill]

Hi Gaza,

Dont want to start another debate on COWBOYS.................... but would'nt
this sort that little problem out.   

Regards,

Sarah

[Paul Coleman]

I would welcome these licences because it would ensure a standard throughout the industry.  By standard I mean fully insured, registered with the IR etc etc.

Historically our industry has been a magnet for seasonal and undeclared w/c which impacts on every legitimate w/c company.  Demand for licences w/c's  would be higher and eventually would be more profitable as we could demand higher prices.

I have nothing to fear from licencing as,like most guys on this forum, run a fairly tight ship by conforming to everything expected of us.

Bring it on I say.

Regards,

Sarah

I have no problem with licensing per se.  I would have a problem if local authorities regarded the money for it as another tax rather than a small fee to cover the costs of producing it.  I would also feel put out about it if a license restricted someone's work area - i.e. if you want to work in five towns you would need five licenses.  Worst case scenario.  Local authorities want to make a big profit from window cleaning license so charge £100.  Work spread over five towns = £500 a year.  Those four x's in town halls would do it too if they thought they'd get away with it.

[Ben Walker]

yeh, i'm in glasgea and i see from time to time young lads hanging on the ledges of tenement buildings. wouldn't reckon they have licence, insurance etc
mind you they are often doing jobs i wouldn't be so keen on. like first floor flat jobs that would be all ladder work and you have to hoik the ladder all the way round the block and down the service lane to do the backs. (easier wfp i suppose). and i don't suppose they charge very much, so they have a niche market.

regulations are good but you can't regulate everyone. and would you want to. i like to be able ring up 'Jim' and get a crate of beer delivered at 2 in the morning, and all the best music wasn't made by guys who said 'drugs, they're so evil'
always two sides to a coin.
a young lad who goes around window cleaning for half a year, i'd say perhaps good for him.



i'm licensed etc, though not got round to IR registration   (cos i'm newbie)

In scotland Licensing i think is good, but i noticed that if a w/c is based near the boundary of two local authorities or even three, they might be a bit ped off having to pay more than on licence!  

(just noticed The Shiner's post)

also had to wait for weeks for my licence! not good service 

ben-san

[Paul Coleman]

i'm licensed etc, though not got round to IR registration   (cos i'm newbie)

In scotland Licensing i think is good, but i noticed that if a w/c is based near the boundary of two local authorities or even three, they might be a bit ped off having to pay more than on licence!  

(just noticed The Shiner's post)

also had to wait for weeks for my licence! not good service 

ben-san

Regarding the IR registration, they penalise you if you don't register within 3 months of start-up.
Also, regarding working in several areas.  I work in West Sussex, East Sussex, and Surrey because I live near the border (Gatwick area).  If you let a jobsworth have a little control, they end up taking the urine.  One of the reasons I started window cleaning was to get away from all that.

[Chris Cottrell]

Maybe this is something the PWCA could arrange as part of membership?

[Moderator David@stives]

whatever next

They will be banning smoking in public soon and charging a local income tax .

[Sarah Sarill]

From what I understand about these licenses in Scotland you do pay a fee per local authority because its a money earner.

Personally I think it would be best ran on counties rather than authorities.  That would give most small w/c enough scope.  The financial impact would then be on bigger companies who cover many counties.  As a % of earning though it should equal out.

At the end of the day it would be introduced for the councils financial benefit but to the benefit of our industry so I'd be happy to pay £100 per county if that's what it would cost me to trade in a professional industry .

Lets wait and see how this one developes but one thing is for certain - the highest objectors will be the fly-by- nights !!!!!

Regards,

Sarah



 

[Sarah Sarill]

whatever next

They will be banning smoking in public soon and charging a local income tax .

Be a bit more specific David.

Are you against sorting out our industry or just to paying a licence fee ?

Sarah

[Moderator David@stives]

If it was a national licence i wouldn`t mind ,but if you live on the corner of four areas and need 4 licenses well that is outrageous .
when i was taxi driving years back there was the same thing .licenses for different areas ,but that was routinely flouted without much come back.

Dave

[Newwfpgatherer]

Excuse my ignorance.

Would a Window Cleaner in Scotland mind explaining to me why the law specifies that a window cleaner requires a Licence?

Are you required to carry it with you when at work?

Is it specifically for windowcleaners or all service trades people?


Before too many issues get caught up in this political whirlpool.

Pj

[gaza]

 No Sarah its not because of that reason you mentioned but why your on the subject




I believe it would shut out the scum who break into other peeps rounds by under cutting only tyo dissapear when the weather turns,
leaving the poor w/c to pick up the pieces,and not able to put his prices up because of it,because the customers believe that a price that is way under priced is the correct price,it would show you are proffessional at what you do and demand a proff wage.

        GAZA

[brett walker]

Yes there should be a window cleaning licence

and get rid of the TV licence

Brett

[Ben Walker]

Excuse my ignorance.

Would a Window Cleaner in Scotland mind explaining to me why the law specifies that a window cleaner requires a Licence?

Are you required to carry it with you when at work?

Is it specifically for windowcleaners or all service trades people?


Before too many issues get caught up in this political whirlpool.

Pj

just found this: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/library5/society/tglp-14.asp, haven't read it yet, i'm 'off licenced' and 'take awayed' now   

ben

[busydaffodil]

I  agree with the licencing of windows.  In my opinion, it would cut out the rogue, unofficial businesses to a degree and allow the homeowner to know it was a legal business. It could even be incorporated into the license application that the applicant prove they are insured.  (though there will always be some homeowners willing to take the risk by using "cowboys" to save a few pounds).  As for adopting location type licenses, surely a license could be purchased in the area the business is registered but would allow national coverage?  Could possibly work, but I suppose there could be other issues to consider.
Also, to make it fair to all, each window cleaner to be licenced, not each company.  This would make it fair for the smaller businesses.

[busydaffodil]

I  agree with the licencing of windows.  

Opps...it should read "I agree with the licensing of window cleaners"   LOL