sd,
I know from a great deal of experience that what really p****s people off in Tayside that while we all agree to the pay at the time of taking the job as an FI, once we are in they treat you like dirt, expect a pound of flesh but to top it all off they insist that the pay is fair and national minimum wage compliant.
I think if they were a bit more honest with their FI's and talked to them like human beings then the Inland Revenue would not have been involved. But the management do not listen and the bottom line is someone got fed up of being a doormat and phoned the national minimum wage people!
Treating their staff with a bit more consideration could probably have avoided the whole mess, but they just don't listen, so they had it coming.
I agree that FI's do use FTO's as a stepping stone, but never forget that they need you, collectivley, as much as you need them, you have paid a lot of money to gain your qualification and you provide a professional service that people pay for and is right and justified that you get paid fairly for providing that service, wether you are a career instructor or an hours builder is irelevent, you provide the same level of service. Let's not forget that we are talking about the national MINIMUM wage. In my mind this was introduced to stop people like cleaners and bar staff from being treated like slaves, not meaning to discredit jobs like that, as all jobs are important, but we are qualified professionals, let's have some self respect, and then get it from our employers!
Sorry to those of you who fell asleep!
[This message has been edited by Mr B. Tupp (edited 29 December 2000).]