[Stooby]

:-/ I've been reading a few posts about N.F.M.W.& G.C. and from what I can gather there are mixed feelings about how useful it actually is to be a member.
In the 20+ yr I've been in the industry I personally have never been asked if I or the company (whichever I might have been working for over the years (and there has been a few)) are members. As far as I recall none of them have carried the logo, so I assume none of them were members. My company isn't and I don't think I'll be joining.

Perhaps I'm wrong, but apart from promoting good working practices (insurance, health & safety etc) and sending your details to local councils (usually more trouble than they're worth) and the odd roadshow, mostly things we can do ourselves. What do  they actually do for window cleaners?

From one of the postings I've read the "Feds" are sitting on a large sum of money (350,000).
Do they use this money to lobby government for practical as well as safe working practices?
Do they lobby representing bodies of architects for accessibility in modern design?
Did they fight for exemption for window cleaners from the congestion charge (coming to a town near you soon!) on the grounds that we go to work before rush hour in the morning and are usually at home before it starts in the evening? Also until they put roof racks on buses or trains then we really do have to take our vans.
Did they or do they actually fight for us on any national issues to help our industry run smoother?

If the answer is yes then sign me up now.

The industry does need a body to represent it's window cleaners interests, not just that of potential customers. One that helps us network and help each other (like this web sight). Have the feds got there own web sight? A place where perhaps we could bulk buy or even import (have you seen the price of ettore stuff in America) and sell at cost to members (sorry to the sponsors of this sight). There are  so many thing that could be done to help us all but from what I can understand the "Feds" are missing a lot of the points a representative body is supposed to be about.
:-/

Stooby

[STEVE71163]

Hi Stooby,
              Firstly i have got to say i am a member of the NFMW&GC but am not involved with them other than that. Do you not think that for what amounts to under a pound a week it represents good value for money even if its just to take advantage of their cheaper insurance
I agree that their are areas that could and should be improved but why not try and get involved and change things Perhaps one of us should try and get involved and put these points to them

Steve Lowe

[Bryan_Dolby]

Stooby

The federation would welcome some new committee members
Then instead of moaning about things you have heard that could be incorrect ,you might find out about the hard work involved ?
the executive council and staff work very hard on all aspects for the window cleaning industry.

Next year we have an election at the next agm
Lets have your nomination forword, i will sighn your nomination form for you

On the other hand you could just keep moaning about what you have heard ?

To this web site its a great shame some people are using the site pages to SLANDER the federation

Bryan Dolby
Chairman (NFMWGC)

[karlosdaze]

Slander:-False statement uttered maliciously that damages a person's reputation
Opinion:-What one thinks on a particular point

[Stooby]

I totally agree with you Steve. I really should get off my soap box and try to do something about the things I whine about. This website has started to get me more interested in the possibilities. If there are a few people who agree with some of the things I've posted (and its not just one misserable gits point of view) perhaps by discussion we can come up with a viable way forward. I'd like to give it a go. An appology to the Feds. For less than a pound a week I'm sure they must give reasonable service. I just think that the way things are going, we now need a body to make sure its still possible to earn a living in the near future. A lot of the fun has gone out of this game. We don't want to lose the rest of it to more bureaucracy and penalisation.  

Best Wishes Stooby

[STEVE71163]

Hi Stooby,
              I am going to find out if their is anyway that i can get involved more with the fed also because i think we should be getting behind them not continually critisising and then hopefully moving this industry forward

Steve

[Stooby]

Dear "Fed" Chairman,

:-XI'm sorry you think I've slandered you and yours, and if anything I said in my posting is untrue. I will immediately eat humble pie.
Maybe what I'm looking for in representation it is not or never has been your intention to provide.
What direction are you looking to take in the future?
Are any of the points I've made on your agenda or likely to be in the near future?
Can I be a commitee member without being a member?
Am I interested in changing things? I'm definately getting that way.
Do the "Feds" have 350 grand to invest in the interests of window cleaning?

Karlosdaze,
Congratulations on your excellent command of English.

Stooby

P.S. Is it slander or Libel on a web page?

[Mikey Warner]

Hello!! Sorry I have not been about much the last couple of weeks but things round here are taking off better than expected!!

About the "FED", I am hopeing that i will be accepted into the FED (have my app right in front of me), for a few reasons:

1. I do not know of anybody in my area who is a member and as people have to "look out/Protect" their property more than ever now i think it will be good for me and show to customers that I am a respectable and honest cleaner.

2. As I am in my infancy of my business I think that having the emblem on my van would also bring me more custom, to me i look at it the same as a gas man being "Corgi Registered" and potential customers would have more faith in you.

3. The away days/meetings/roadshows,.... do i need to say more, this means we can get away from the "Nags" indoors, have a little yarn and sink a few (or a load) of Bevvies!!!!

There's my 2 peneth, some might agree some might not?

Mikey

[Stooby]

Hi Winda Kleena,

Horses for courses. I see where your coming from on point 3

Regards Stooby

[Mikey Warner]

Bottle of Becks and a JD will do me, Cheers  

[Stooby]

Bottle of Brandy and a Stella for me. Your round.
Cheeeeeeeers

[g_griffin]

how will joining the fed show that you are honest and respectable? im not a member so genuinely dont know.
         gerry.

[STEVE71163]

I think it shows that you care enough about the industry that you are a part of to be a member of a government recognised association and that you are at least insured so should you accidentally damage their property they are going to get it repaired. Most of the fly bonite cleaners out their that come and go would not be bothered enough to join so i guess it also shows you are here to stay.

Steve Lowe

[g_griffin]

fair point and a pound a week isnt so bad

[Mike_Boxall]

To this web site its a great shame some people are using the site pages to SLANDER the federation

Bryan Dolby
Chairman (NFMWGC)

Hi Brian
The site is here so that people can share their opinions and everyone's opinion is welcome. However, from what I've read on other posts I, like others, would probably have the sense to ignore comments from those who havent ever been members and yet criticise it for what it does or does not do.
I dont think any federation is worth joining if people arent going to be proactive about supporting it and developing it!

I notice that the one issue that hasn't been answered directly is what is planned for all this money the Federation allegedly has? Will it be used to offer members other benefits? If so, what are they?

Regards

Mike Boxall

[Polepro]

I think Stooby has some great ideas, can Andrew Walker let us know how much he was actually able to achieve during the years he was a committee member. And Fed Man or Bryan what do you think Stooby's chances are of effecting change if he became a committee member.

Would the FED spend some of its wealth on any of Stooby's ideas?

Is there actually any room for Stooby on the committee seeing that the committee voted to reduce the number of committee members from 12 to 10 at the last AGM?

Tom

[Stooby]

It is a fair point Steve and as it is a government recognised body they have a head start in approaching any political bodies, relevant to our industry. So perhaps it would be best to join up, become active and try to change some things and defend others from the inside.

However is there any interest in the federation itself in defending our jobs from politcians and other bodies whom only have an outsiders looking in understanding of the problems we face. They start at point "A" and end at point "D" but totally disregard points "B & C" between and the importance they have to the journey.
Or are the federation happy with the role of helping to implement and advise on policies that have already been made? Instead of helping to shape policies before they become law?
If the federation and its members have no interest in moving in this direction it will probably be easier, in the long run, to start over with people who have the interest and understanding of what I'm banging on about. Instead of trying to convert people who don't see the "Feds" role going in this direction.

Stooby

[Stooby]

Thanx for your support Polepro.

Stooby

[Andrew]

can Andrew Walker let us know how much he was actually able to achieve during the years he was a committee member.

The frank and honest answer to this question is nothing like i would have liked to have done

Over time I found the more effort I put into my Federation work, seemingly the more my efforts were resented and frustrated by other committee members.  I should stress this is not just my paranoid opinion. I have correspondence from individuals within the Executive Committee, offering support and encouragement, who noted the same.  Minutes of meetings show that criticism of my work was particularly savage during my absence.  The committee meeting that decided to expel me was held in my absence.


I always took the view that the membership had elected me to do a job. I approached my work with enthusiasm.  The arrangement is that if you take time of work to do Federation work, or incurr costs in other ways, these can be claimed back from the Federation.  The practice is to invoice for these.  The invoice would then usually be referred to the Executive Committee.  In my experience these occasions often became a gauntlet of abuse and disrespect.  Inferencies were made about one's honesty and integrity, or the relevance of the work undertaken to the original remit.  Obviuosly the committee has duty of care with respect to the memberships funds, but in my opinion these occasions frequently went well beyond that.  

In my view this history has had a stifling effect on the individual initiatives of committee members.  Sat in my office i have file of unfinished projects, began on behalf of the Federation, but incomplete because i was not prepared to accept further abuse in order to complete them.  Among these are programmes to introduce the best of the IWCA practice to the Federation, matters relating to education and training, and other organisational matters.

The above may give the impression that in the end i sat back and did nothing.  Let me add that documentation shows that in my six years as a committee member i attended as many meetings and functions, on behalf of the Federation, as the rest of the Executive Committee put together.  A perusal of trade literature shows that the material i wrote, and that was published, explaining the trade, was far in excess of what the rest of the committee produced.

I hope my reply has caught the essence of what you wanted.  If not please let me know.  I still care about the Federation and beleive that critical debate on the subject is essential for it to have a successful future.

Andrew from Edu-Clean UK

[Bryan_Dolby]

Polepro
Yes i think new ideas to the fed is always welcome
Has you remember things cannot happen over night
But a question to you is why do you HIDE under a name like that are you afraid to come out  
Are you a (BOLT )from the past
Bryan