Bloody hell your a fountain of common sense, if only we could get both idea's adopted, the JIB one and fuse one. If I write to some MP's and the JIB and others do you mind if I use your idea's. Would be great to get rid of the Part P scheme and also finally have a scheme where sparks can get on with their bloody work without worrying whether a DNO is going to smack them on the ar**.
Yes, but your insistence on "JIB" takes over half the highly qualified electricians in the industry right out of the game.
We NEED a body which is not at all commercial, and has no advantage in promoting "its" members over any other. The emphasis HAS to be on safety and qualification, and NOT on commercial advantage.
Yes, I know the JIB is supposed to be impartial, but clearly any arrangement between ONE industry body and ONE union is never going to speak for the entire industry.
The problem is, and remains that there is no ONE impartial voice that speaks for the electrical industry on all matters affecting us. We need to look at stopping fragmentation, and stopping one part of the industry acting in what IT thinks is everyone's best interests, while in reality only speaking for around 30-40% of the industry.
Ultimately, the JIB is as toothless as we are individually. It can't even enforce it's own name.
FWIW backing the JIB to oversee the entire industry is a bit like getting the IET to oversee electrical testing on sites.
What we really need is a competent government funded department (like we don't pay enough in taxes anyway) that co-ordinates trades and licencing throughout, IRRESPECTIVE of membership in unions, trade associations, and any other clubs that come along. It is high time that all of these schemes stopped giving BUSINESSES the competitive advantage through assumed levels of competence and ability, and placed identification and membership ON THE GUY DOING THE WORK.
It is so easy for ANY company to employ the minimum required number of qualified individuals, do a few jobs for inspection by an approvals board, and then either remove the guys who are qualified, or let ANYONE do the work under the umbrella of approval these days. And that's a key problem ---- The COMPANY gets the approval, and the GUYS DOING THE WORK do not get the training, and end up doing dangerous work under an approved banner.
It needs a ground up rethink - and guys down there in the field doing the work need a way to prove, on demand that THEY, not the company, are QUALIFIED and ABLE to do the work. Gas SAFE had the basics of the right idea with their symbols on the back of the card - that needs improving and adapting.
Simply, we need to move away from COMPANY approvals, and put it back to the men in such a ways that it doesn't impact their earnings.
