father_jack

I presume there are lots of other 'tractors on here. Bloody IBM (who I'm contracting for)have just announced a 10% rate cut, following on from the cuts made by the banks.
I'm gonna play it out and see what happens. Anyone else heard of this sort of thing going on?

John Catlin

You are luckey it's only 10%.

By my calculations I should have been on about 250K by now !!!!!!!!!!!

ptholt

I'm on a 15% drop in rate on my last contract and travelling a lot further (mileage)

Bajie

I got a 100% rate cut way back in May

krankyd

I'm not doing too bad on a contract here at egg, but I am finding it REALLY duifficult finding any unix work in the midlands. it really sucks.

I might have to make the move down to the city soon, as I'm up in 4 weeks..

anyone know of any sys-admins needed? (pref. not working for another bank)

Huge

Think they've just realised how much the average IT contractor spends on his/her car

Hugh (not in IT!)

polarbearit

I've not had may rate cut, but after Jan 2000 I took a job on much much (40% +) lower rate to get work (it was only meant to be a 4 week contract, I thought I may as well take the money)

After doing this job until last month and despite a couple of pay rises, I was getting to the stage where I was about to jack in IT altogether.

Anyway last month I got a much much much much much much (get the idea!) better job on about 30% more money. It took a long time, but I'm much happier now, though I have to travel a little further, I am out of a doomed telecoms company and into a sensibly run financial(luckily with no real US connection).

It took a long time to find, I had been offered other things prior to this, but basically they were often very short term jobs or something I didn't want to go back to doing.

Anyway keep hunting, the market was just starting to pick up in some areas. Not sure what's going to happen now though...

Jon

father_jack

Well I don't want to **** on me chips and I know which side my breads buttered on and other metaphors, so it looks like I'm gonna get bent over by big IBM and shafted.
It's not exactly a pittance even with the cut ) but IBMs customer will be informed that THEY are now paying 10% too much.
Might get a direct contact out of this yet!

DrEvil

.. be grateful you have a contract, things are goin' slow on the contract front..

AndrewC

Sorry to here about this guys, I was a 'hardened' contractor, 8 years man and boy (including 2 years at the NYSE, thank God I didn't accept a permie job there!) and realised mid last year that things were starting to get a bit bleak, I looked around for a 'real' job and after taking everything into account (especially petrol/running costs of the Scoob) I reckon I am actually better off financially in a permanent position.

I still miss it though!

Andrew.

kryten

Not the only company to try this recently, though most people I know that were asked to take a 'voluntary' cut said no!

father_jack

We all said no - will see what happens - gulp

John Catlin

father_jack,

Been in the game for 40 years now. I will be very surprised if they all keep solid.

Seen it too many times, as it stands every one is trying to cut costs.

IBM etc etc are all bigger and have more money than you or other Contracters.

I wish you well.



[This message has been edited by John Catlin (edited 18 September 2001).]

father_jack

There are only 3 of us on the contract so we'll see what happens. IBM are very likely to lose the contract if they boot us and try to replace us with their usual low calibre gradute types.
Of course sense won't prevail and some bean counter down south will be pulling the strings meaning that they will lose the contract as well as the £600+ a day they charge for me. *****.......