Sadly the rate of pay scaffolders command at the present time is I believe at an all time low.
There are several factors driving prices down
1) The current cutbacks in public generated spending. Schools, Univerities, Hospitals,new road schemes, public buildings, town halls, ect. There are more severe cutbacks to come in the next 5 years as the present governments policies come on line
2) The general maintainance of all the above as repair and improvement work is "put back" year on year
3) The general surplus of office accomadation, Shop premisess and hotel rooms in most of our major cities. This has led to the withdrawel of speculators investing in the private sector.
4) The drastic decline of the "new build housing" sector. Again driven down by the lack of investent due to the lowered return on the sale of houses
5) The bankers withdrawing finance to business on an unprecidated scale in the past 20 years
6) The loss of our traditional manufacturing industries, Steel, Coal, Car manufacturing,Textiles, and many more
We are in this position due to short sited and "politicaly motivated" decisions taken by both the Conservative and Labour governments over the past 50 years.
As a country we are a spent force and are in denial as to our own financial standing on this planet.Unless a man of vision with national pride emerges from one of the political parties and the people of this country get up off thier knees and back him regaining our national pride and looking out for the citizens of the UK. Our standards and beliefs to be paramount in the laws of this Country Lets start looking after our own and get shut of all the malcontents and dregs of the world that are parasites on our Health,Education,Housing,and benifits systems
Bit of a rant I know, but I have watched the changes in this country, It was never heaven but it was a darn sight better than it is now in lots of ways
