Today's wrangling with the pimp and client

[TheRefactornator]

I was told directly by my current client last week that there was a further 3 months work for me from June-Sep.

So I contacted the pimp and told him I wanted a £4 p/h increase...something I tried for 6 months ago also. Of course like a true pimp he goes directly back to the client and rubs them up the wrong way which results in the client advising me directly that after speaking to him there's no way they are going to approve any rate increase.

So I stick to my guns and tell the agency that if I don't get what I've asked for I'm walking in June. The pimp comes back later in the day and advises that their position is such that they are not able to reduce their margin...then asks me to send in my CV so he can try and find me work at a higher rate!

So I'm walking away from that one and from that clueless agency also.
..could be joining the bench crowd in 6/7 weeks...

[ratewhore]

smegging too right...

[MrRobin]

Kudos to you for playing hard ball with the agent and putting your foot down but in the current climate it might not have been the wisest of choice... It's a buyer's market right now and there could be plenty of peeps lined up on the agents books waiting for a role, and would maybe even accept at a rate that is less than your current one.

Unless you are in a niche or are actually looking forward to a nice extended bench rest, perhaps you might want to revaluate your position?

[Turion]

So I contacted the pimp and told him I wanted a £4 p/h increase...something I tried for 6 months ago also.

So I take it you did not get it? Then the agent probably thinks you will bottle it again. If you do not really care for keeping the contract it does not really matter as you will walk this time. If you cave in again you're just a dog that barks and has no bite.

£4 is a large slice of the agents cut on a typical contract. I'm not surprised he went to the client. If you go he will be first in line to find someone else and maintain his margin. After all, it's business

[TheRefactornator]

£4 is a large slice of the agents cut on a typical contract.

I know for a fact the agency is getting £15p/h...something I'm not really supposed to know...confidentiality clauses and all that rubbish but the client let it slip a while back.

No I didn't get the rate rise last time but I'm not backing down this time. Someone has got to stand up to the parasite scum at some point...

As MrRobin says, perhaps now is not the best climate for this sort of thing but I think I'll take my chances and if time off happens, so be it...I've been killing myself for a good while now, so a couple of months off might be nice I think...