Around 13 years ago, nearing the end of my plumbing apprenticeship throughout the GFC, I had a job to make ends meet.
I was installing underfloor heating and cold water mains services to an old chapel refurbishment. I got the job from my old foreman from another job, fucking solid dude.
My pay was around £7 ph. I tried to negotiate my wage higher and bluffed but basically got shut down, my old foreman laughed, not in a way I didn’t deserve it, but told me I shouldn’t bluff.
Every week pay went in late, hours short, always ball busting trying to get paid.
I thought about what my old foreman had told me. Eventually another week, pay wasn’t in my account, or my foreman’s account, I was angry, he was angry, so I called the Bossman.
Me: “Hey mate, money isn’t in my account”
BM “Will be in there today or tomorrow”
Me: “No mate, this is every week, it’s a fucking joke, I’ll tell you what, I’m here to do a fucking job, a hard job, your job is to fucking pay me, now I’m here in the car, and the tools are in the boot, they tools are staying in the boot till I’m paid!”
BM: “the the fuck do you think…”
I just hung up the phone then rejected the calls.
Not 10 minutes later we’re both paid.
That was my last week, I was paid everything I was owed, and it was the last time anyone stiffed me.
Twice in over a decade my pay was late and I immediately said the same thing, both times paid within the hour. Thankfully these company’s I had better relationships with and there was never another issue.
Don’t bluff, get paid or leave. Do not work.