yes...as long as control of pricing did not go same way as taxis and we maintain individual control over our prices.
I think this is the case in Scotland.
In Holland, any new window cleaner has to have a WFP system in place before being allowed to work.
A licence would hopefully give the genuine self employed window cleaner a few steps up the ladder of public perception and give us a more professional image.
Compulsory standards are I imagine similar to the requirements for licencing of taxi drivers.
correct level of insurance
correct and safe tools for the job
criminal records check
the criminal records check is a contentious issue.
The checks are done to ensure that those who may have committed crimes in the past are only considered for employment in a field of work which has no bearing on their previous offences and where they would be unlikely to commit similar offences.
In window cleaning, we are often working unsupervised with people or on property so I can imagine that a record of violent offence(s) against the person or offences related to theft/burglary would count against anyone applying for a licence.
The issue of offences being spent would probably not be considered due to the fact that we do work unsupervised with people/property.
In certain occupations, whatever offence you may have committed and no matter how long ago it was, you have to declare it.
The list does not include window cleaners merely because we are not legislated or licenced.
If we were, I think we may find our occupation on the list requiring us to declare all/any offences when applying for a licence.
The decision to issue a licence or not would be the responsibility of the licencing agency who would be sent a copy of your Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) certificate.
I for one feels my appearance may be a bit overpowering to an elderly person whenever I have doorknocked...6`2", 14 stone and the face of an ex 3 Para boxer makes me look abit like Bill Sykes from "Oliver" - so the fact that I have a licence would give some of my potential custom reassurances that I am not about to strip their homes of all their worldly goods.
People DO make assumptions about why we are window cleaning.
Some people DO think we can find no other worthwhile employment.
People DO look down on us and think we are scraping a living.
Licencing would surely catapult us up the ladder towards a level of acceptable professionalism across society.
It would certainly (from a very selfish and purely business minded point of view) stop the (small?) number of window cleaners we have all seen who have our professions image shackled to the bottom of their wooden cart to be looked down upon by the public who pay him a couple of pounds to see him right.
Unless they were prepared to invest in safety and professionalism they could not operate...maybe harsh but true and in my opinion a move they should be forced in some way to make.
WFP - licencing - I vote yes.
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