Editorial: Tradies have it tough

New regulations mean the cost of building and painting has gone up as more scaffolding and other safety equipment is required.

Working in the trades is a tough job that's increasingly becoming tougher.

When the economy is slow it's a struggle to find enough work and when times are good it's a struggle to keep up.

It is physical work, which often requires working out in the elements, and many tradies work long hours.

The most recent challenges for them are all the new health and safety regulations tradies are required to adhere to. They are imposed for good reason.

The jobs can often be dangerous. They often require tradesmen to be up high, working two or three storeys off the ground. Even a fall of one storey is enough to do some serious damage.

But it also makes life tougher. The regulations mean the cost of building and painting, among other things, has gone up as more scaffolding and other safety equipment is required.

Worse still, in Saturday's Bay of Plenty Times Weekend we reported that painters were struggling because "cowboys" were undercutting them by illegally ignoring the safety regulations and doing the work in a dangerous manner.

Master Painters Association of New Zealand Bay of Plenty president Riki Nelson summed up the meaning of that well: "We are finding people are significantly winning jobs because they were two to three thousand dollars cheaper than the other contractor in the repaint and rework area."

It is unfair that those who are abiding by the new regulations are losing out on work because of it.

The regulations may be slightly over-the-top but to be a good, honest tradie and look out for your employees, it's what you have to do.

AAA Master Painters Tauranga owner Ron Bare pointed out that not only were "cowboys" undercutting honest companies, they often did a poor job and those on fixed incomes were the ones getting ripped off.

"They can't afford it, so a cowboy will come in and do a cheap, quick job and rip them off," he said.

So not only are they causing honest businesses to lose out on work, they are ripping off those with the least.

It's a tough spot to be in for those who want to do things the right way. I hope their reputation precedes them and happy customers go on to recommend their services.