Gas pipe in screed.

I am not sure what you are arguing for.

no regulation of those who carry out gas work for reward?

a multiplicity of "competent person schemes" as eg with electrical work?

a state monopoly?

something else?

Bear in mind that AIUI it was HSE who decided to stick with a single, monopolistic operator.

But at least the name won't have to change if they switch operator again: HSE own the Gas Safe name and logo.

No I don't, actually.

Spoken like a true trade unionist. Who doubtless enjoyed all the benefits of working in a closed shop environment for what was it, upwards of 30 years ?

As it happens, unlike most trade union members in the general unions at least, joining the Gas Safe Register involves rather more than simply paying a subscription.

And even if as has been claimed some of them show a degree of incompetence, the standard to which they have supposedly been trained and tested, no doubt by paying backhanders to the people conducting the tests according to you, is sufficient to satisfy insurance companies, and any solicitors representing the people who are about to buy your house.

michael adams

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I do keep the surface of induction hobs clean, using Jiff or similar cream cleaner.

Dave Plowman (News) used his keyboard to write :

That's it, it all about money and restrictive practices, all backed by government regulation.

I would trust a competant DIY'er's work in his/her own home over Gas Safe most days of the week. Even the qualified engineers tend to look up the regulations, so no reason why a DIY type should not seek advice too. It demonstrates a level of care.

It happens that michael adams formulated :

It is quite an unecessarily large annual sum of money, to stay on the register.

They, in my personal opinion take little interest getting rid of incompetent members, but then why would they want to lose a paying member?

Indeed.

Very sound advice there, from a fully paid up member of the National Institute of Selective Quoting.

michael adams

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I've never worked in one, and don't agree with them.

Well that shows your knowledge of unions comes straight from the Daily Mail.

And you think that an adequate safeguard?

Indeed. Nothing like knowing the consequences of your actions may come back to bite you. Unlike the average gas cowboy. Which such registration was meant to eliminate, but of course hasn't.

That must have made you popular.

From Aunty and Her Little Villains.

The BBC and the Unions, 1969-1984

Anthony McNicholas

The main union at the BBC was the ABS (the Association of Broadcasting Staff). It was recognised by the BBC across all areas

Industrial relations in the BBC had historically been much better than in the ITV companies.

There was no BBC equivalent to the strike and lock out of

There was no closed shop agreement, which weakened the ABS, and it never enjoyed the same leverage with management as its counterparts in commercial television. Twice, in 1968 and again in 1975, the ABS had tried unsuccessfully to persuade the BBC to allow a closed shop with it in order to resist encroachments from the ACTT

While over at ITV

For much of the 1970s Britain suffered high inflation rates (peaking at

The ITV companies were highly profitable throughout this period, constantly beating the BBC in the weekday ratings and consequently receiving large amounts of advertising revenue. They had to deal with several unions at this time including the usually moderate EETPU (Electrical, Electronic, Telecommunications and Plumbing Union who handled electronics in the studios), NATTKE (National Association of Theatrical, Television and Kine Employees) and the ACTT (Association of Cinematograph Television and Allied Technicians) led by the militant left-winger Alan Sapper.

In 1979 (when the annual inflation rate was 13.4%) the ITV companies made a 9% pay offer. The unions rejected this, wanting 25% and claiming that their members' pay over recent years had been eroded by inflation. On 23rd July the EETPU and NATTKE unions carried out a national one-day strike which led to all regions being blanked out except for Westward Television (whose members voted not to strike) and Channel Television. In the other companies EETPU members had switched off equipment that ACTT members refused to switch back on and operate and therefore no television programmes could be made or broadcast.

But then I suppose you were away on your holidays or off sick, while all this was going on.

It's rather more a case that your knowledge of Gas Safe Register fitters, who one might expect to be members of the working class just like yourself, appears to be straight out of the "Daily Mail", I'm afraid.

It's the best possible safeguard there is.

Contrary to what you seem to think, insurance companies aren't mugs, and they're going to be the first people to suffer financially should the Gas Safe Registration scheme as its now operates prove to be grossly inefficient.

So your attempt to run down your fellow workers was all in vain, I'm afraid,

michael adams

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Sorry the penny has just dropped.

Might it simply be the case that somebody still hasn't got over having to pay a Gas Safe Registered fitter ?70 to attach a bayonet hose to the back of their cooker,

(Having possibly been mugged into it by choosing to have the cooker delivered by Currys or similar ?)

michael adams

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Not particularly. It was a widely held belief that the vast majority were more than happy to be in a union when they saw the benefits. For those who had genuine reasons not to, other arrangements were made.

Which was the case with ACTT.

Of course if you were one who wanted all the benefits of being in a union without paying for it, a different matter.

But then the standard tax avoiding Tories weren't thick on the ground. But plenty decent ordinary ones.

So as a conscientious objector you still pay all the subs, or their equivalent, presumably you take whatever (official) industrial action the Union decides on, (but staying at home maybe rather than manning picket lines) but you have no say in deciding Union policy.

Tax avoidance is perfectly legitimate and there are plenty of examples from right across the political spectrum. When people accumulate sufficient wealth to employ an accountant, the advice of the accountant complete with spreadsheets if necessary will often trump the political beliefs of a lifetime. Unfortunate though this might be.

michael adams

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Ironically I though the use of fitting a bayonet hose to a fitting on a wall was exempt?

Never bought a cooker from them, so wouldn't know. Anyhow, I've always fitted my own.

I have 3/4 inch screwed iron, painted with bitumen, on top of the slab and buried under screed too deep to be hit by carpet grippers. (1976 house). Outside they used similar but with a yellow plastic sleeve.

Corrosion-protected copper needs to be deep enough to avoid damage, or capped with some inverted metal trough to mechanically protect it, but then you have a void which is frowned upon if it is not ventilated.

This thread has morphed a bit from the outset. Steph is wisely keeping a low profile.

The move to induction hob is motivated largely by the *cleaning agenda* of an ageing housewife. The new kitchen is not allowed to have cracks or crevices or anywhere perceived dirt can lurk. I had originally planned to install the kitchen myself as I have done the last two.

There is plenty of other work and I can see the potential for conflict so, apart from piping to the service valves, I am planning to stand well back!

If I find a gas safe man willing to do small jobs, he can flare the couplings for the tracpipe himself.

The gas supply to my house has a buried compression joint, where the yellow plastic joins onto the 3/4 inch iron under the concrete apron in front of the garage (which contains the meter).

Gas Compression joints are not completely avoidable but must be 'accessible'.

Twisting the bayonet hose into the existing fitting on the end of the pipe - is exempt. As its designed to be foolproof. They're usually fitted with a little safety chain to prevent them being accidentally disconnected as well. Alhough quite how someone would manage to do that is another matter. And there would be no leakage in any case as the gas would automatically shut off.

What I'm talking about is screwing the end of the bayonet hose onto the inlet on the back of the cooker.

Indeed. You can buy bayonet hoses everywhere. However if you choose the delivery and installation option from places like Currys who will also remove the old cooker presumably you get stung for the ?70 at some point as well.

michael adams

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If you mean me, of course not. All the internal gas pipework was installed by me. Many years ago. And the house is still standing - unlike what a gas safe type would have you believe. ;-)

Why would anyone buy a cooker from them?

The people to be concerned about at the moment are the army of 'smart meter installers' who have done a very minimal course designed for people who have some degree of competence and ability anyway.

Sadly, these courses do not seem to prvent the other type of 'smart meter installer' to complete a course and be let loose on the public.

These are of course the pathologically lazy and stupid, with an IQ that barely qualifies them to make some toast without burning it.