Here we go again… more rules, no money!

Like many operators I have had a hard winter; in some ways a good winter but now with the onset of light nights and mild weather the good times seem to have gone again. While we have all been beavering away in the snow and the frost, the jungle telegraph has either been turned down or has remained quiet but, true to form, as soon as we enter the season of depression our intrepid warriors, the unnecessary rule makers, appear to be at it again. This time they appear to be trying to get more training added into the PAS 43 requirement.

Now I am not really sure what it is all about but any extra is too much and I am pleased to see that AVRO agree with me. Do these people not realise that on top of everything else we have had no increase in rates in fact, as far as Interpartner are concerned, we now have a decrease. Of course, in reality no increase is a decrease.

Surely these people who claim to help and represent the industry should be looking at ways to help us reduce costs not just contribute, for no just reason, to the increase. Even the present Government have a self-quota that only allows a new regulation to be imposed if one other is removed. I ask, when did we ever have a regulation relaxed in our favour by these groups? Never!

For those that forget where I stand, I don’t mind working to rules and regulations but I don’t like to have to pay for the privilege before I start the job. What we are really lacking is some real independent representation, person or persons without fear or favour who will look after us as we would like to be looked after at the higher level.

I also find it disappointing that we no longer have a really independent and forthright recovery magazine. There have been several over the years but obviously the financial implications of running such a publication are difficult. Over the last few months there would seem to have been a few issued within our industry that could have done with being aired, but for one reason or another they have been kept under wraps. I have e-mailed Partnership Publishing about this sort of thing but have not even had a reply.

Could we be entering another phase of now being treated like mushrooms and we all know how they are grown.

Fred Henderson,

Breakdown Doctor.

March, 2011