trade plate delvery drivers self employed??

[tali122]

why are trade plate delvery drivers classified as self employed by the companies they work for, im aware that the company can gain financially (no holiday/sick payments) but how can an actual employee of a company be self employed?

[buildersmate]

Its casual work, basically - available only when the company wants you.

[Buenchico]

While a few people work as 'platers' on a part-time basis, most people do it full-time.

Contrary to what Cleversod indicates, very few firms pay any expenses, which is why platers are forced to hitch everywhere.

I worked as a plater for 2.5 years, from February 99 to August 01. A typical working week would be around 65 to 70 hours, for which the pay (after paying travel expenses and a contribution towards insurance and uniform out of my own pocket) was roughly �150 per week. At that time, that was equivalent to about half of the national minimum wage.

The reason why plating companies insist that their staff sign a document declaring themselves to be self-employed is simply because it saves them money and avoids them having to pay for sickness or holidays. The self-employed status of plater means that they have the right to refuse any job they don't want to take on but, in practice, those drivers who try to 'cherry pick' the work quickly find that other platers won't give them lifts or that the plating firms no longer offer them work. However, it's this right to refuse work which determines the self-employed status of drivers.

Chris

[slave-plater]

your question looks like its been here since feb 07, "self employed" is a term that can describe, "the way a job or contract " is deployed, regarding "TRADE PLATERS" , the "self - employed driverS2 , are also LIABLE for THIER OWN N.I contributions , and INLAND REVENUE returns, meaning they are obliged by tax law, to PAY TAX...no surprise, no deductions for N.I , and TAX are made at SOURCE, so the "SELF EMPLOYED DRIVER" , is liable for tax, late payment surcharges etc etc.... for delayed TAX payments, and so on and so on, if you are self employed, the COMPANY CONTACTING YOU DIRECTLY, do not have to make provisions for "TAX/N.I " etc...... unless they change you from SELF-EMPLOYED , to "PAYE EMPLOYEE STATUS" , some of these companies DEDUCTED a nominal amount for CONTRIBTION to DRIVERS MOTOR INSURANCE POLICY COVER, which is nothing to do with N.I contributions, some times called STAMP ............ even MANAGERS of LARGE NEWSAGENTS are deployed on "SELF EMPLOYED BASIS" , that nothing to do with franchising, its basically a status for tax purposes......liabilty.. end of answ/Qn

[plater]

Sorry to disappoint Cleversod but the idea that "�150 a week is not a bad wage for driving whatever from A to B with no stress no hassle just drop it off and go home" is written by somebody who cannot appreciate the hassle and stress that this job can cause. The hours involved and the average hourly wage to get that "�150" are both ridiculous.