The following principles have been agreed with the Councils we have liased with this week.
Both parties agreed that we all need to work together in resolving the issues we face. The Councils have agreed to help licensed window cleaners in that it will benefit them as a business.
1) Twice yearly news bullitens urging the public only to use licensed window cleaners. The format of this will be to sell licensed window cleaners to the general public.
2) Nationals to be contacted and requested they must license their employees or face prosecution
3) The wearing of licenses in City Centres to be compulsory and City Centre Managers to request local businesses only to use licensed window cleaners
4) Temp license to be introduced with will last until main license is issued, this will benefit those who employ.
5) Those caught information to be passed onto DWP, this will deter those who use window cleaning as undeclared income
6) Enforcement Officer to be pro-active and will contacting all those that advertise eg:Yellow Pages that they must license themselves or face prosecution
7) If any licensed window cleaner has his worked poached from who he thinks is unlicensed they can forward details to the SLWCN who will then pass it onto the Enforcement Officer. He will act upon this and report back to the SLWCN.
The main aim is for all the public to be made aware that they should only used licensed window cleaners thus making it harder for unlicensed window cleaners to undercut licensed window cleaners. This will then hopefully create a market where prices will start rising and we don't have to worry about those who undercut us illegally.
The license as agreed by the Council is a business tool and therefore a service must be provided.
These have been agreed in principle which we will be discussing with all Councils throughout Scotland.
This is work in progress and the SLWCN and Councils will keep on revisiting it to benefit our trade. The SLWCN itself will be advertising the Network Nationally.
Not bad for £35 membership fee plus other benefits.
We have a very busy year ahead.
