Lads telling war stories about pulling in €1,000+ a week back in the good days

davet82

Rabidlamb wrote: »

Anonymous person on the internet speaks of anecdotal situation of unidentifiable friend.
Christ Paddy you're right, he can't get out the front door with all the media interest & flashing bulbs going off.
Good man, off to the next internet crisis with god's speed, the world wide web needs more true protectors like you.

i'm detecting some sarcasm in that post? :rolleyes:

rgmmg

Zonda999 wrote: »

Ah yes, sure this was the very mantra of the construction side of our 'boom'.

Mindless greed in other words. I'd be lying if I said if I said I didn't get some sort of satisfaction of seeing certain people like this in a pretty poor financial situation now. What's more, many of these are not even trying to make some effort to get a job, or trying to further their education to help them get a job, they are simply waiting for the 'show' to start off again, I can tell you, at the current rate, they will be waiting a long time..

Breathe deeply, put it down to them being caught up in the hype, move on. You'll feel better. There's nothing more annoying than people who take "some sort of satisfaction" from others who have fallen on hard times. "Sure yer man had a new merc every year during the boom. Now look at the state of him" etc.

seamus

seamus wrote: »

Yeah, I recall a conversation with a mate in 2005. He had started a plumbing apprenticeship in 2001, but was still only halfway through in 2005 because he kept deferring the next phases in order to stay on the job. He was being paid €150/day for, in his words, "Making tea and lifting stuff".
So he saw no reason to go back to FAS and get his qualification.

I warned him at the time to get it completed as soon as possible, because at least then he'd have that and he could go and do whatever he wanted. His response was that there was no rush cos, "They'll always need plumbers for building houses"

Predictably in late 2006, his employer let him go and also pulled his FAS sponsorship, and he ended up on the dole with no qualifications and no hope of finishing his FAS course.

Ah! The Irish Dream, shattered.

rgmmg

rgmmg wrote: »

There's nothing more annoying than people who take "some sort of satisfaction" from others who have fallen on hard times.

Except some wanker defending the lazy, no hoper type, who only got a job in the first place because Anto knows the boss.:pac:

Zonda999

rgmmg wrote: »

Breathe deeply, put it down to them being caught up in the hype, move on. You'll feel better. There's nothing more annoying than people who take "some sort of satisfaction" from others who have fallen on hard times. "Sure yer man had a new merc every year during the boom. Now look at the state of him" etc.

I know exactly the kind of people Dymo meant in his post, and the people I'm thinking of are by no means starving I can tell you. Many of them have their money made.

Rabidlamb

rgmmg wrote: »

Breathe deeply, put it down to them being caught up in the hype, move on. You'll feel better. There's nothing more annoying than people who take "some sort of satisfaction" from others who have fallen on hard times. "Sure yer man had a new merc every year during the boom. Now look at the state of him" etc.

I went golfing on a stag do in Kenmare back in the glory days.
I parked up in my 10 year old Almera followed by a mate who drove an equally bangered Astra, we were both degree qualified engineers.
Then the building lads arrived in the '07 Nissan Navaras & Subaru Foresters, took out their brand new custom fitted Taylor Made irons & headed to the first tee laughing at the lads who wasted their time in college.
Out of the 8 of us on the stag we were the only 2 to keep our jobs during the recession.
I know I shouldn't feel smug but I do.

Head The Wall

rgmmg wrote: »

Breathe deeply, put it down to them being caught up in the hype, move on. You'll feel better. There's nothing more annoying than people who take "some sort of satisfaction" from others who have fallen on hard times. "Sure yer man had a new merc every year during the boom. Now look at the state of him" etc.

The likes of those folks did plenty of laughing at people in regular jobs without houses though. They just don't like when the shoe is on the other foot

ian87

Zonda999 wrote: »

Ah yes, sure this was the very mantra of the construction side of our 'boom'.

Mindless greed in other words. I'd be lying if I said if I said I didn't get some sort of satisfaction of seeing certain people like this in a pretty poor financial situation now. What's more, many of these are not even trying to make some effort to get a job, or trying to further their education to help them get a job, they are simply waiting for the 'show' to start off again, I can tell you, at the current rate, they will be waiting a long time..

Cant help but agree. I remember sitting beside a guy in leaving cert who actually called me an idiot and laughed in my face for going to college. "Sure why would you bother when you can earn €600 a week plastering."

He who laughs last laughs longest. A few years of college later I am earning that money and he is stuck living at home without a pot to piss in.

seamus

rgmmg wrote: »

There's nothing more annoying than people who take "some sort of satisfaction" from others who have fallen on hard times. "Sure yer man had a new merc every year during the boom. Now look at the state of him" etc.

I think you're misinterpreting his post somewhat as begrudgery.

There was a certain subset of people working in the building trade during the boom who took every opportunity to tell "professionals" about how much money they were making without having ever been to college, and how everyone was wasting their time going to college and getting an office job or other skilled work.

I don't think you would deny anyone their right to feel a little glad when such a person has fallen flat on his arse after all his waffling and posturing.

The Recliner

Rabidlamb wrote: »

Sorted, needs to be right for when she googles herself.
I just noticed you loose all your Thanks once you edit a post, makes sense I suppose.

The thanks reappear after a while, you don't lose them

Bruthal

Rabidlamb wrote: »

Sorted, needs to be right for when she googles herself.
I just noticed you loose all your Thanks once you edit a post, makes sense I suppose.

I don`t think you do lose them, they just appear to be gone when you first edit.

Michael 09

Zonda999 wrote: »

Its gone beyond a joke at this stage

To anyone who hasn't read this; I urge you to:

http://www.independent.ie/opinion/analysis/the-smart-ballsy-guys-are-buying-up-property-right-now-1047118.html
Brendan O Connor - ' The smart, ballsy guys are buying up property right now' - July 29th 2007

This is the same guy our state broadcaster is paying on our behalf to entertain us on Saturday nights..

This has entertained me on my lunchbreak. Brendan O'Connor - such a shrewd investor :pac:

TwoShedsJackson

http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Best-Is-Yet-Come/dp/1842181424 by Marc Coleman (now business chief at Newstalk I believe) - his analysis, published November 2007 about how we hadn't seen anything yet...

Forget the Celtic Tiger. Ireland's stunning economic growth is part of a much bigger trend that could see its population double by the middle of the century. The Best is Yet to Come tells the story of Ireland's incredible journey back to the future.For the first time since 1861 the Republic's population last year hit 4.2 million. Part I of the book tells the story of that recent history, and compares Ireland to Israel - another country with a large diaspora that to being encouraged to return home.Even without the diaspora tens of millions of migrants around the world are beginning to seek a better life. Part II of the book explains why Ireland has become a migrant magnet, and why powerful global forces will keep them knocking on our door. What about congestion and high prices? Bad planning and not population growth are the problem. Using Switzerland as an example of a modestly densely populated country, Part III argues that there is no reason why Ireland cannot be a green and spacious land of 12 million people by the end of the century, provided our infrastructure and land use policies are improved. But where will the migrants come from? Will we rely on the diaspora or on migrants from other backgrounds? Does the coming age of mass migration threaten to wipe out our culture and national identity? And what role will the emergence of a united economy on the island of Ireland play in all this? In answering these questions, Part IV concludes by assessing the kind of country we become if we take up the challenge of our future. Ireland's miracle is far from over. As anxiety mounts about the end of Ireland's boom, The Best is Yet to Come argues that Ireland is not experiencing the beginning of the end, but rather the end of the beginning. Ireland is undergoing a demographic recovery with decades yet to run. Currently the only country in Europe whose population has not greatly increased since the nineteenth century, the Republic's population could reach nine million by 2050. By that time, the economic reunification of North and South could see twelve million flourish in an all-island economy.

Bad Panda

ScumLord wrote: »

Just about anyone can drive but some will be better than others, otherwise you or I could hop into a F1 car and drive as well as a world class driver. Skills are learned patterns, essentially anything you learn is a skill that you can improve on. Golf is a skill you learn, you can do it from the start but you won't be good at it.

Track across large gaps, down step ravines, level off ground. They can do things you wouldn't even consider possible.

My point is, anybody can learn to operate a digger to a degree that they could gain employment out of it.

It's a digger, not an F1 car.

stovelid

Zonda999 wrote: »

http://www.independent.ie/opinion/analysis/the-smart-ballsy-guys-are-buying-up-property-right-now-1047118.html
Brendan O Connor - ' The smart, ballsy guys are buying up property right now' - July 29th 2007
..

I'm sure he didn't believe it. He was more than likely just trying to big up the market again - because he's on record as being saddled with a negative equity property. - which is even more appalling than simple economic illiteracy.

MadYaker

Im hoping that about ten years down the line loads of cheap credit will become available and we can all hop on the venga bus again!

Zonda999

stovelid wrote: »

I'm sure he didn't believe it. He was more than likely just trying to big up the market again - because he's on record as being saddled with a negative equity property. - which is even more appalling than simple economic illiteracy.

Well whether he believed it or not, he expected the Irish public to believe it. That probably makes it worse IMO. For the record, at the start of his sh!te entertainment show on Saturday nights now, he cracks a few jokes, usually regarding the political mis-haps of the preceding week. The irony goes too far..

TwoShedsJackson wrote: »

http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Best-Is-Yet-Come/dp/1842181424 by Marc Coleman (now business chief at Newstalk I believe) - his analysis, published November 2007 about how we hadn't seen anything yet...

If he is in that position, it doesn't surprise me one iota. with views like those in that book, I can only imagine he fits in with the whole Independent News & Media/Denis O'Brien broadcasting/publishing dynasty only too well..

Rabidlamb

The Recliner wrote: »

The thanks reappear after a while, you don't lose them

So I could have a post about how wonderful the staff of Crumlin hospital were caring for my lovely Emily, get a 100 thanks, then completely edit the post to say how much I enjoy slowly killing kittens & I'd still have 100 thanks.
Excuse me, I'm off to do something completely unrelated . . . :rolleyes:
Not really.

Duiske

alproctor wrote: »

Skilled???

Of course it's a skill.....

I think this is what some are getting at here. He learned that trick on the job, but someone with a physics degree would have saved time and energy by just using the ramps.

ScumLord

Bad Panda wrote: »

My point is, anybody can learn to operate a digger to a degree that they could gain employment out of it.

It's a digger, not an F1 car.

Maybe back in boom times when there was plenty of work and they'd let anyone do anything you could have said that but with jobs in short supply the best will rise to the top. There is a big difference between competent and highly skilled.

Duiske wrote: »

I think this is what some are getting at here. He learned that trick on the job, but someone with a physics degree would have saved time and energy by just using the ramps.

Yes the physicist would like to think he's being really smart there but he'd spend the best part of a hour trying to do what took that guy 2 minutes. That's if there where actually ramps there to begin with.

Bruthal

ScumLord wrote: »

Maybe back in boom times when there was plenty of work and they'd let anyone do anything you could have said that but with jobs in short supply the best will rise to the top. There is a big difference between competent and highly skilled.

It was in boom times that the digger operator mentioned in the OP was operating the digger.

Yes the physicist would like to think he's being really smart there but he'd spend the best part of a hour trying to do what took that guy 2 minutes. That's if there where actually ramps there to begin with.

Site safety officers might prefer the physicist`s methods though.

allibastor

I used to earn close to 70k a year at 24 years old. now that is a glory day. i had more money than i knew what to do with. used to go out for dinner 5 nights a week with the misses and go to hotels every weekend.

Different story now, could not get a building job if my life depended on it and i am told my qualification( construction mgmt) are not really worth anything.

tell your machine op friend to cop and get his head out of his arse. what a pleb. if that was the case we should all be at home waiting on that magic phone call to get a huge job with massive pay.

Father Damo

neil_hosey wrote: »

it doesnt require you to spend years in college/training to acquire. that is the point i think he is trying to make, and a valid one.

tbh there are an awful lot of jobs out there that dont really require the amount of college years one has to acquire to work in said sector. HR for example- it is primarily glorified appointment setting secretarial work, only better paid and requiring 3 years of certified bull to do it.

http://i.imgur.com/0oUDO.jpg

Bill Clinton was dead right

Spread

Dymo wrote: »

I remember a bricklayer friend boasting in the pub that he earning more than Doctors and Solicitors and he never went to collage and implying how much smarter he was than them wasting there time with this education lark. He's in New York now looking for work.

What pissed me off was the attitude a lot of tradespeople had that they could ask what ever they wanted for jobs to be done and work when they wanted to. €250 a day for a bit of carpentry(9-5). €800 for leveling some gravel. 2 hours work.

You seem to have a bee on your bonnet about this. A doctor will charge outrageous sums if you multiply (10 mins by 6). When is the last time you had any dealings with a solicitor? I paid E800 to my fellow ten years ago to do the work that I myself could have done in a few hours - if I knew the routine.
If he's in NY, then he's working ....... unless he's a bit of a dosser. Here where I live, the unemployment rate is 5.8%. You cannot get building workers 'cause they are all in NY or Boston. In Union jobs there you can get $45 an hour on daywork

People emigrate for different reasons. I know a vet ....... left Ireland about eight years ago and he now runs a successful painting company - employing a dozen painters - in Boston. Likewise a friend's son ......... graduated from UCD eighteen months ago and is now pulling in about a grand a week in NY - driving a large dumptruck. Of course he could stay at home and rant about the cowboy builders, smarmy politicians, gobdaws on the make etc, to sate his anger ......... but instead he got off his butt, borrowed the airfare from his Dad .......... another E1500 from an aunt and was working just over a week later. OK, he leaves home at 6.15 and doesn't get back 'til 7pm but what the heck ........ he has the weekend off.
Now I know if you've got a family these instances may not be appropriate ....... but young people on this forum (who don't have children) should stop griping and get on with it.

arybvtcw0eolkf

Rabidlamb wrote: »

The fact that a unskilled labourer who left school without a Leaving Cert could earn them sums of money shows what a ridiculous bubble we found ourselves in.
All it gave them was an unrealistic impression of their earning ability & this perception needs to dissolved.

Whats a leaving cert got to do with anything?.

I've a work ethic which would put the seven dwarfs to shame and working two and sometimes three jobs a week I was earning that.

I left school when I was 13.

seamus

allibastor wrote: »

I used to earn close to 70k a year at 24 years old. now that is a glory day. i had more money than i knew what to do with. used to go out for dinner 5 nights a week with the misses and go to hotels every weekend.

Different story now, could not get a building job if my life depended on it and i am told my qualification( construction mgmt) are not really worth anything.

I think for the purposes of fairness it's worth pointing out that it wasn't just people working in the building trade who were getting these kinds of excesses.

I worked for eircom for 6 weeks after college in 2003, and as part of the training process for tech support, you spent 3 days on the phone with the sales guys, learning how to sell stuff to people who didn't want to buy anything.

They were giving very generous commission on incoming sales, you got €20 for every person you signed up to a €30/month internet package. So you could easily (given the times) pull in an additional €200/day in sales if you were ruthless and quick enough on the phone. One guy I can recall was working every hour god gave him and was very protective of his commission. He told me on a quick break that he had to earn an extra €1,500 a month in commission because himself and his girlfriend were buying a house.

No blinking or anything, signing up to a 30-odd year mortgage on the basis of commission earned. Madness.

flanders1979

Kennedy Rancid Explorer wrote: »

Whats a leaving cert got to do with anything?.

I've a work ethic which would put the seven dwarfs to shame and working two and sometimes three jobs a week I was earning that.

I left school when I was 13.

Introducing Mr Bill Cullen:p

Green Diesel

I worked a summer during college in the Dept. Enterprise Trade & Employment back in 2004. Was my first office based job. I thought it was pretty good, and interesting (I was helping the accountants do audits of state bodies!), and I'd say it in passing that a job in the civil service wouldn't be too bad if you got it in an area you liked.

Everyone would scoff at the idea, sure they do nothing, your wasting your time in civil service, sure their wages are crap compared to private sector etc. The same people would now do anything to get a public sector job.

One of the accountants was always talking about the art investments he had made. Saying you'd but a painting from some place in town for (say) 10k, and they'd agree to buy it back off you in 5yrs for 12k (if you wanted to). I wonder if that place ever went under.

Vicxas

I remember back in the glory days where people used to call me up and offer me jobs as i was fresh out of college and was easily pliable.

Now its like fighting tooth and nail for a minimum wage job. We really did have blinkers on in those days

Green Diesel

Vicxas wrote: »

Now its like fighting tooth and nail for a minimum wage job. We really did have blinkers on in those days

We really did. I remember I was travelling through Canada telling the locals how strong our economy was *cringe*

Rabidlamb

Kennedy Rancid Explorer wrote: »

Whats a leaving cert got to do with anything?.

I've a work ethic which would put the seven dwarfs to shame and working two and sometimes three jobs a week I was earning that.

I left school when I was 13.

Well done on your achievements in the workplace.
I know plenty of hard working types too, I used deliver free newspapers & flyers door to door every evening after my 9 to 5 to save a deposit for a house.
Worked the 2 jobs for nearly 3 years before I nearly burnt out.
Hard work is commendable but would someone still like to be 65 working on a building site or behind a bar.

fishy fishy

allibastor wrote: »

I used to earn close to 70k a year at 24 years old. now that is a glory day. i had more money than i knew what to do with. used to go out for dinner 5 nights a week with the misses and go to hotels every weekend.

Different story now, could not get a building job if my life depended on it and i am told my qualification( construction mgmt) are not really worth anything.

tell your machine op friend to cop and get his head out of his arse. what a pleb. if that was the case we should all be at home waiting on that magic phone call to get a huge job with massive pay.

married at 24??
wow, you missed out on life big style.

Ray Palmer

There is. Classification system for what jobs are. Digger is semi skilled. Skilled is a trade.
Taking good money when you can is not greed it makes sense. You save the money for when things take a turn like now.
I used to earn €2k + a week after tax. I saved the money for bad times. Work disappeared out of work for 6 months then worked for a lot less. Nearly back up again but much more work.
Laughed at by friends and family about how the IT bubble burst and there was no money in it. my cousin seems to think I barely survive working in IT as things are so hard for him as a plumber. No degree either

Honest opinion

Track across large gaps, down step ravines, level off ground. They can do things you wouldn't even consider possible.[/QUOTE]

Yes but does it float?

tbh

allibastor wrote: »

I used to earn close to 70k a year at 24 years old. now that is a glory day. i had more money than i knew what to do with. used to go out for dinner 5 nights a week with the misses and go to hotels every weekend.

Different story now, could not get a building job if my life depended on it and i am told my qualification( construction mgmt) are not really worth anything.

tell your machine op friend to cop and get his head out of his arse. what a pleb. if that was the case we should all be at home waiting on that magic phone call to get a huge job with massive pay.

It's lads like you I feel sorry for really, if I was earning that much money at that age, I would have spent it all as well. I have plenty of mates who were taking home 750 a week for digging holes and making tea, and spent it freely on crap, with no thought for the future. A lot of them are in Oz now, and sadly it seems like they haven't learned a thing, still spending money like water with nothing put by.

I remember a fella at the petrol station in ballymun in the builders boots and the hi-viz, paying for a breakfast roll and a tank of petrol and getting a load of change, which he threw in the bin.

I remember a taxi driver telling me to buy a house, pay the mortgage for six months and then top up the mortgage to get the deposit for a second house -and keep doing it.

I remember being lectured by my ex's new boyfriend for wasting my time in college studying crap when I should have been out building houses like he was.

I remember going in to look at a house listed at 175K, and the surly estate agent showing up late to let us (about 20 of us) in, and telling us that no offers under 200k would be entertained. I remember one person wanting to register an offer of 225 before we'd even gone in the door.

I remember trying to get a plumber in to fit an outside tap and being told that I'd have to pay a minimum charge of 2 days labour for a "mickey mouse" job. The same plumber put a handwritten note in my door last month touting for work - no job too small.

I remember a fella in Donegal who was knocking his house and rebuilding inviting people in the pub to call to his house after closing and taking whatever they wanted, because it was too much hassle to sell or store it.

this isn't a recession, it's a correction, and it was a long time coming.

Unavailable for Comment

In all fairness in 2007, even a category A labourer should have only been on an hourly rate of ≈€17.20 so being offered €12 today is certainly not an insult! Sure the rate today is less than €5 more.

I dunno I reckon your friend is bullsh1tting. As a digger driver he'd be category C meaning he'd be paid ≈€16 an hour. To be taking home €1400 would have meant earning €2150 a week or ≈€112000 a year! Even if he was at a constant double time rate he wouldn't have made close to that. It just wasn't happening and if it did it absolutely only affected a tiny minority of builders.

I reckon people like your friend have built up the "glory days" far more than they were in reality because it allows them to feel more justified in going straight into a construction job without worrying about long term prospects. Some people are still surviving or even flourishing in construction. Others aren't. If it makes them feel better to make out that it was better than it was that's up to them.

Odysseus

Rabidlamb wrote: »

Well done on your achievements in the workplace.
I know plenty of hard working types too, I used deliver free newspapers & flyers door to door every evening after my 9 to 5 to save a deposit for a house.
Worked the 2 jobs for nearly 3 years before I nearly burnt out.
Hard work is commendable but would someone still like to be 65 working on a building site or behind a bar.

I was earning that type of cash in the last recession, I left Dublin at 19 and was working on sites for about five years. However, I worked with a man aged 72 at the time, been on sites since he was 15 and he loved it. Now that is not for everyone, but there is one example.

ScumLord

Spread wrote: »

Likewise a friend's son ......... graduated from UCD eighteen months ago and is now pulling in about a grand a week in NY - driving a large dumptruck. Of course he could stay at home and rant about the cowboy builders, smarmy politicians, gobdaws on the make etc, to sate his anger ......... but instead he got off his butt, borrowed the airfare from his Dad .......... another E1500 from an aunt and was working just over a week later. OK, he leaves home at 6.15 and doesn't get back 'til 7pm but what the heck ........ he has the weekend off.

Working on big jobs isn't really all that secure. Once the bridge/tunnel/road is finished all the workers are let go. There's no guarantee he'll keep that job for any length of time.

Honest opinion wrote: »

Yes but does it float?

Yup.

rgmmg

RVP 11 wrote: »

Except some wanker defending the lazy, no hoper type, who only got a job in the first place because Anto knows the boss.:pac:

charming :pac:

Zonda999 wrote: »

I know exactly the kind of people Dymo meant in his post, and the people I'm thinking of are by no means starving I can tell you. Many of them have their money made.

Rabidlamb wrote: »

I went golfing on a stag do in Kenmare back in the glory days.
I parked up in my 10 year old Almera followed by a mate who drove an equally bangered Astra, we were both degree qualified engineers.
Then the building lads arrived in the '07 Nissan Navaras & Subaru Foresters, took out their brand new custom fitted Taylor Made irons & headed to the first tee laughing at the lads who wasted their time in college.
Out of the 8 of us on the stag we were the only 2 to keep our jobs during the recession.
I know I shouldn't feel smug but I do.

Head The Wall wrote: »

The likes of those folks did plenty of laughing at people in regular jobs without houses though. They just don't like when the shoe is on the other foot

seamus wrote: »

I think you're misinterpreting his post somewhat as begrudgery.

There was a certain subset of people working in the building trade during the boom who took every opportunity to tell "professionals" about how much money they were making without having ever been to college, and how everyone was wasting their time going to college and getting an office job or other skilled work.

I don't think you would deny anyone their right to feel a little glad when such a person has fallen flat on his arse after all his waffling and posturing.

Fair enough - I didn't realise the comment was targetted at a specific profession. I didn't live in Ireland at the time but every time I went back I listened to idiots telling me I'd missed out - across all professions. All very sad. Still, onwards and upwards!

rgmmg

rgmmg wrote: »

charming :pac:

!

I didn't mean you.;)

Spread

ScumLord wrote: »

Working on big jobs isn't really all that secure. Once the bridge/tunnel/road is finished all the workers are let go. There's no guarantee he'll keep that job for any length of time. ......................................
..........................................................................

Yes, I understand that. While working in England I experienced a few downturns. So I legged it to Germany once, France another time, the Middle East three times but did not have to bite into my savings. Some people are always on the qui vive, others not. The same as in all walks of life I guess.

Mr. Incognito

This thread has decended into - they were so smug now they are on the dole

MUUHHA HA HA HA

So it's typical Irish Begrugery. They took what was on offer.

We all bought into it and people on the dole regardless of any past performances and the taxpayer being saddled with private property gambling debts is a scam and a scandal.

tbh

Mr. Incognito wrote: »

r.

We all bought into it

no, we didn't. We certainly did not all buy into it. I have a modest house, modest savings and no debt other than an affordable, reasonable mortgage. I was told I was an idiot plenty of times during the boom. There's no begrudgery on my part, I hate seeing my friends desperate for work, but the way things were at the height of the boom was madness, and there were plenty of people who said it couldn't continue.

Red_Wake

The mark of the peasantry is enjoying the inferiority or misfortune of others.

christmas2012

in the boom it was 1000 euros per week now its free labour with the job blocker job bridge(sucking what could be paid jobs advertised out of the community) with an extra 50 off the dole..how times have changed indeed..

Odysseus

rgmmg wrote: »

Fair enough - I didn't realise the comment was targetted at a specific profession. I didn't live in Ireland at the time but every time I went back I listened to idiots telling me I'd missed out - across all professions. All very sad. Still, onwards and upwards!

The amount of time I was told I was a fool working in the HSE. People just couldn't graspe that I enjoyed working with the people who could not afford to see me privately.

Lollipops23

Mr. Incognito wrote: »

This thread has decended into - they were so smug now they are on the dole

MUUHHA HA HA HA

So it's typical Irish Begrugery. They took what was on offer.

We all bought into it and people on the dole regardless of any past performances and the taxpayer being saddled with private property gambling debts is a scam and a scandal.

I don't get a giddy thrill out of them being on the dole- but there is a sense of irony that a lot of people gave up the path of being more secure in the long run, only to have it bite them in the ass. Especially when those of us who went to college etc got sneered at.

the_syco

Unavailable for Comment wrote: »

It's important when remembering the "glory days" that it wasn't builders getting €1400 for working double shifts, i.e. €700 a week that drove the boom. It was easy access to and reckless abuse of credit that drove it.

I'd say the unions getting the builders these rates share a large portion of blame for pushing up the cost of houses.

TwoShedsJackson wrote: »

http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Best-Is-Yet-Come/dp/1842181424 by Marc Coleman (now business chief at Newstalk I believe) - his analysis, published November 2007 about how we hadn't seen anything yet...

Holy crap, I wonder how the former Economics editor of "The Irish Times" could write this?

Rabidlamb wrote: »

So I could have a post about how wonderful the staff of Crumlin hospital were caring for my lovely Emily, get a 100 thanks, then completely edit the post to say how much I enjoy slowly killing kittens & I'd still have 100 thanks.

People have done this in the past. I've seen users that couldn't be thanked.

ScumLord wrote: »

There is a big difference between competent and highly skilled.

The competent people could do their job, the skilled people would generally have a piece of paper showing that they're skilled.

ScumLord wrote: »

Yes the physicist would like to think he's being really smart there but he'd spend the best part of a hour trying to do what took that guy 2 minutes. That's if there where actually ramps there to begin with.

When sh|t happens and the truck moves forward/shovel slips/etc and the digger operator gets hospitalised, the physicist will continue working.

Green Diesel wrote: »

One of the accountants was always talking about the art investments he had made. Saying you'd but a painting from some place in town for (say) 10k, and they'd agree to buy it back off you in 5yrs for 12k (if you wanted to). I wonder if that place ever went under.

Art tends to be something that survives war and recessions. And sometimes even increases in cost because of that.

Rabidlamb wrote: »

Hard work is commendable but would someone still like to be 65 working on a building site or behind a bar.

Building site, no. A bar... if the bar did well, it's not a bad job, but the job can be the same day in day out sometimes.

Unavailable for Comment wrote: »

To be taking home €1400 would have meant earning €2150 a week

From what I know from a few lads who worked on sites, to take home €X a week, they'd only need to earn € - most were never taxed. and those that did pay tax, paid it Monday to Friday; weekends were done tax free. A mate stopped being a brickie and got a electrical apprenticeship as he knew that if he got hurt, it'd be game over. This tax free working didn't only happen in the construction industry, though.

Nothingbetter2d

tbh wrote: »

no, we didn't. We certainly did not all buy into it. I have a modest house, modest savings and no debt other than an affordable, reasonable mortgage. I was told I was an idiot plenty of times during the boom. There's no begrudgery on my part, I hate seeing my friends desperate for work, but the way things were at the height of the boom was madness, and there were plenty of people who said it couldn't continue.

i didn't buy into it either.

no morgage, no bank loans, nothing.

it pee's me off that i have to pay off other people's debt (thanks to Brian Clown) :mad:

Bruthal

tbh wrote: »

no, we didn't. We certainly did not all buy into it. I have a modest house, modest savings and no debt other than an affordable, reasonable mortgage. I was told I was an idiot plenty of times during the boom.

Same here. Many times I was given stick for not having the flash car etc. Many certainly did buy into it all, but not everyone.