MOD paying £22 for a 65p light bulb
Discussion
PoleDriver said:
Pupp said:
PoleDriver said:
Q:- How many soldiers does it take to screw in a lightbulb?
A:- As many as you can afford!
Aren't they bayonet fitting these days? A:- As many as you can afford!
You'll get 'screwed in'
a new house now, and stabbed too, because many are now using bayonet rip-off 3-pin fitting energy bulbs... guess how much one bulb costs? Average a tenner each, although a bit less on ebay, but when you receive it broken it works out even dearer. Good job the MOD isn't buying these, they probably pay 330 quid each.
Mill Wheel said:
PoleDriver said:
Q:- How many soldiers does it take to screw in a lightbulb?
A:- As many as you can afford!
Q. - How many aerospace engineers does it take to screw in a light bulb?A:- As many as you can afford!
A. - None - it's only a light bulb... it's not bloody rocket science you know!!
A:- 650, one to screw in the bulb, three to hold the ladder, ten to form a select committee to discuss "The Access Equipment Manual Security Operative Working Regulations Directive", 635 all filling in expense claim forms for the cost of the bulb @ £22 and hire of the ladder at £3459.99 and the last MP, a certain D Skinner MP, calling the rest of them a set of scabs and telling them they should have got a sparky in.
SplatSpeed said:
I have a good one for you
the inland revenue sold all their buildings and rent them back!
because they can make tax on the rental income, shame they were bought by an offshore company!
Even better.the inland revenue sold all their buildings and rent them back!
because they can make tax on the rental income, shame they were bought by an offshore company!
There are offices that are empty, and have leases still running on them that they are paying for.
They have people (including my company) whom want to take over the one of these offices and have offered to pay the lease for them until we can renew the lease ourselves.
Nope. Can't do that. Rules state that Govt. buildings can't be sublet out, and so they stay empty, bleeding money, whilst we struggle in a small office desperate to expand into an empty office.
Bonkers.
rover 623gsi said:
Did anybody spot the main culprit here...
‘...specialist contractors sourced items for the military and added their costs on to the price’
This is private sector profiteering from delivering public services. And arch hypocrytes Liam Fox and the Tory led Condem Government wants more public services opened up to the private sector. Be ready for more expensive public services, not the reverse
As someone who has supplied the public sector I bused to have quotes sent back saying I needed to add more on.‘...specialist contractors sourced items for the military and added their costs on to the price’
This is private sector profiteering from delivering public services. And arch hypocrytes Liam Fox and the Tory led Condem Government wants more public services opened up to the private sector. Be ready for more expensive public services, not the reverse
Don't blame the private sector for that. It is entirely down to public sector mentality of it's not my money.
neil_bolton said:
Even better.
There are offices that are empty, and have leases still running on them that they are paying for.
They have people (including my company) whom want to take over the one of these offices and have offered to pay the lease for them until we can renew the lease ourselves.
Nope. Can't do that. Rules state that GOV'T BUILDINGS can't be sublet out, and so they stay empty, bleeding money, whilst we struggle in a small office desperate to expand into an empty office.
Bonkers.
I thought you just said they we're leased therefore 'private' but rented to the Gov't knowing how some private industry works it's probably/may be cheaper to leave the office empty rather than renegotiate out of the contract even though you are a willing lessee, you'll only create wear and tear and possibly use more utilities that may have been negotiated and paid. There are offices that are empty, and have leases still running on them that they are paying for.
They have people (including my company) whom want to take over the one of these offices and have offered to pay the lease for them until we can renew the lease ourselves.
Nope. Can't do that. Rules state that GOV'T BUILDINGS can't be sublet out, and so they stay empty, bleeding money, whilst we struggle in a small office desperate to expand into an empty office.
Bonkers.
I would have been trying to kick ass to get the rules changed, but it seems a pretty pointless exercise nowadays when you have seen how slow the 'system' works
.Greenie said:
rover 623gsi said:
Did anybody spot the main culprit here...
‘...specialist contractors sourced items for the military and added their costs on to the price’
This is private sector profiteering from delivering public services. And arch hypocrytes Liam Fox and the Tory led Condem Government wants more public services opened up to the private sector. Be ready for more expensive public services, not the reverse
‘...specialist contractors sourced items for the military and added their costs on to the price’
This is private sector profiteering from delivering public services. And arch hypocrytes Liam Fox and the Tory led Condem Government wants more public services opened up to the private sector. Be ready for more expensive public services, not the reverse
neil_bolton said:
Even better.
There are offices that are empty, and have leases still running on them that they are paying for.
They have people (including my company) whom want to take over the one of these offices and have offered to pay the lease for them until we can renew the lease ourselves.
Nope. Can't do that. Rules state that Govt. buildings can't be sublet out, and so they stay empty, bleeding money, whilst we struggle in a small office desperate to expand into an empty office.
Bonkers.
And some people had the temerity to slag the typhoon off [on another thread]..................There are offices that are empty, and have leases still running on them that they are paying for.
They have people (including my company) whom want to take over the one of these offices and have offered to pay the lease for them until we can renew the lease ourselves.
Nope. Can't do that. Rules state that Govt. buildings can't be sublet out, and so they stay empty, bleeding money, whilst we struggle in a small office desperate to expand into an empty office.
Bonkers.
Anyway back on topic, were these bulbs long life ones??
rover 623gsi said:
Did anybody spot the main culprit here...
‘...specialist contractors sourced items for the military and added their costs on to the price’
This is private sector profiteering from delivering public services. And arch hypocrytes Liam Fox and the Tory led Condem Government wants more public services opened up to the private sector. Be ready for more expensive public services, not the reverse
Oh. You're one of them.‘...specialist contractors sourced items for the military and added their costs on to the price’
This is private sector profiteering from delivering public services. And arch hypocrytes Liam Fox and the Tory led Condem Government wants more public services opened up to the private sector. Be ready for more expensive public services, not the reverse
I see.
I think I have told the story before but it is just in their blood... the mentality is staggering within long term civil servatnt/procurement types (Admittedly a massive generalisation)
We have a flat in London that needed refurb and major exterior works. So we clubbed together and bought the F/hold to do the work and manage it ourselves.
One of our 'colleagues' was managing the project on our behalf BEFORE I took it on.
He wanted to cover his 4rse the whole way - that was the primary objective.
It was summed up in one slightly heated exchange when he stated clearly:
"We have to ensure, that as Freeholders, we have no comeback on each one of the Directors at all."
He wanted to have a Managing Agent overlook a Surveyor/project manager. The PM would put everything out to tender and manage the project on our behlaf.
He then wanted to get a lawyer to oversee the Managing Agent so that made 4 layers in all... 4 f
kING layers of costs.
My answer:
"We need to get an acceptable job done at a reasonable costs with minimal and an acceptable risk to us as F/Holders/Directors...."
3 doors down, for an identical flat, their price for pretty much identical work was DOUBLE ours. And guess whose paint is starting to peel first - not ours!
Have a guess what he did for a living? Some sort of MOD procurement job!!!! (and hence the point of the story)
Numpites - the lot of them!
We have a flat in London that needed refurb and major exterior works. So we clubbed together and bought the F/hold to do the work and manage it ourselves.
One of our 'colleagues' was managing the project on our behalf BEFORE I took it on.
He wanted to cover his 4rse the whole way - that was the primary objective.
It was summed up in one slightly heated exchange when he stated clearly:
"We have to ensure, that as Freeholders, we have no comeback on each one of the Directors at all."
He wanted to have a Managing Agent overlook a Surveyor/project manager. The PM would put everything out to tender and manage the project on our behlaf.
He then wanted to get a lawyer to oversee the Managing Agent so that made 4 layers in all... 4 f
kING layers of costs.My answer:
"We need to get an acceptable job done at a reasonable costs with minimal and an acceptable risk to us as F/Holders/Directors...."
3 doors down, for an identical flat, their price for pretty much identical work was DOUBLE ours. And guess whose paint is starting to peel first - not ours!
Have a guess what he did for a living? Some sort of MOD procurement job!!!! (and hence the point of the story)
Numpites - the lot of them!
£22 for a 65p light bulb is a bargain compared to this.
MoD spent £1 billion on tank programme which produced no vehicles
MoD spent £1 billion on tank programme which produced no vehicles
Zaxxon said:
Adrian W said:
Don’t let the facts get in the way etc, the prices quoted were before the MOD discount, in the case of the bulb it was 98% so was in fact about the £0.65. Bloke on LBC was explaining it this morning.
Bit of sensationalist rubbish.
Care to explain how hanging two whiteboards (8 holes drilled, 8 fixings applied), can cost £650 ?Bit of sensationalist rubbish.
Not all suppliers try to con the MOD...
We have various contracts with parts of the MOD (and various other government departments) and the commercial terms are exactly the same as private sector contracts. Sometimes extra project management time is allowed, but this is due to the extra layer of administration caused by third parties that are involved in the contracts.
Overall, they push value just as hard as the private sector in my experience.
We have various contracts with parts of the MOD (and various other government departments) and the commercial terms are exactly the same as private sector contracts. Sometimes extra project management time is allowed, but this is due to the extra layer of administration caused by third parties that are involved in the contracts.
Overall, they push value just as hard as the private sector in my experience.
Extortion is big business - ex letting agent wanted £25 to replace a lightbulb (which must have popped after I left as I checked each one so as to avoid this blatant rip-off) as they 'hire a Contractor to do the work'.
I offered to return to the property and change it myself (cost me about 75p) and after much arguing and re-affirming of their T&Cs they reluctantly agreed.
My further offer to replace any more blown lightbulbs at other properties for half the price their current Contractor was charging didn't go down too well... funny that
I offered to return to the property and change it myself (cost me about 75p) and after much arguing and re-affirming of their T&Cs they reluctantly agreed.
My further offer to replace any more blown lightbulbs at other properties for half the price their current Contractor was charging didn't go down too well... funny that
elster said:
As someone who has supplied the public sector I bused to have quotes sent back saying I needed to add more on.
Don't blame the private sector for that. It is entirely down to public sector mentality of it's not my money.
it's called 'spending the budget' because anything left in a budget at year end is taken off you twice - not only do you forefeit that money it then gets taken away from the next budget ... Don't blame the private sector for that. It is entirely down to public sector mentality of it's not my money.
Zaxxon said:
At a location in Aldershot, the useless company that did all of the maintenance for the various sites wanted £650 to hang 2 medium sized whiteboards in our office. And it would take 6 -8 week before they could do it.
Ha had almost the same thing happen to me last year at a large MOD contractor sitein berks our project office wanted a whiteboard putting up (they already had the board)
and the building maintenance contractor wanted £500 to screw it to the wall
and two weeks notice to do it!
Wont name the company but they are well known around the reading area white vans
with EM**RE on the side utter parasite of a firm.
Gassing Station | News, Politics & Economics | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff