Us ~vs~Them

[kwatt]

+++WARNING+++

Big post. Read carefully, understand it. Don’t jump to conclusions, you’ll probably be wrong. Ask me or Lawrence before you kick off about it.

+++WARNING COMPLETE+++

As much as I get accused of steering things being Machiavellian or whatever, I spoke to Lawrence earlier about some of this but, given Lawrence’s capacity for typing with two fingers and whatnot…

There’s a few things that have come to light under the WEEE Regulations that are of interest but, they need to cook for a little longer. In short, if we can pull off what we think we can pull off and argue successfully the points then we will open up the world of local reconditioning to all and sundry. This will take a bit of work and, to be fair, it’s all John, not me.

I do politics and “stuff”, I rarely do detail other than to sketch it out and drill it down when I’m forced to do it. Or, I have an interest in it, which usually means it leads down more rabbit holes. But, I digress again.

There’s a thought that we (UKW/WTA) work towards a common goal, I have to say I wasn’t particularly shocked by the notion (digressing again) of the two working hand in glove, to further the indies cause/s.

So, I found myself asking, how much stomach do these guys have for a real scrap? I’m not talking about a mud slinging thing, calling people names from the corner of the room, no, we’re done with that sh1t. This is a full-on fight.

There’s a number of things that I’ve been beavering away on for a while that I hope will allow the WTA a much larger platform and, a much larger voice by way of that.

Given the title of this thread I hope you can guess where I’m going with this and that, even if you guys don’t really want to get into the trenches and chuck grenades, shoot bullets, I’m gonna do it anyway under the UKW banner. I like kicking over apple carts, opening up cans of worms and tipping out the contents just because it amuses me so…

I’m just plain good old-fashioned rebellious and a bit of a pirate at heart. Upsetting the establishment puts a smile on my face and, I love doing it just for fun.

So you may as well know now although, I hope you can keep this between us for now…

I have personally researched and added about 2000 repairers to our database over the past week or so, I think I’ve managed to capture most, if not all, active repairers in the UK currently operating today. This in addition to those we already had captured details for.

I’m going to mail shot them all.

Objectives are:

Get as many as possible on the engineer search.
Get as many as possible to sign up to the WTA.
Fire them up, get them onside, get them away from apathy.

It’s a simple set of objectives but, as usual, I can’t help but play a little politics whilst I’m about it. I’m like that and, if it upsets and p1sses people off in the process well, all the better.

The result of the stuff we’ve been doing is, in essence, to get “a manufacturer” bang to rights in breach of Regulation 17 of the WEEE Directive by refusing to give technical information and diagnostics or the tools required to do that. That part is pretty straightforward.

Then we say, that the WTA will take the manufacturer in question to court over it. Basically, we litigate.

But, what we do with the mailshot is to say that, we will do this. This serves as a big *F**K OFF* stake in the ground for the WTA. It says, we won’t cuddle up to manufacturers, we won’t betray what the WTA is about and that we are out to protect our members, the independent repair trade’s interests. Not anyone else’s interest.

Not least the big retailers who, after if p1ssed me right off today, seem to get away with stuff we just couldn’t because they play the system and beat the legislation. That’s not right and a wrong I have every intention of correcting with or without help and support.

For me, is what a TA is about. It protects and serves its members. End of.

That is what a TA should do.

So, for me this makes perfect sense and is completely cohesive.

Even if it doesn’t work, even if we never set foot in a courtroom (which isn’t actually the objective) we throw a pebble in the pond and make a tsunami from it.

And, if it doesn’t work, well WTF, we all at least tried. I fully intend to succeed and not to let it go however and I have to say, I don’t much care how battle scarred I get in the process.

If you do want to run with this though there’s a few ground rules. We have to be cohesive in what we do, we have to work together, we have to learn very, very well the phrase “no comment on that” and we all have to be singing from the same hymn sheet.

Of course it goes without saying that updating everyone on what’s going on blow-by-blow will be impossible so we’re all gonna have to show a little trust and lend a little latitude to Lawrence and myself in particular as we’ll be having to front this.

So, Us ~vs~ Them. “Them” is anyone acting not in the interest of the independent repairers. Simple.

Theres no shortage of applicants for that mantle.

But, my God, it’ll be glorious fun and that’s the main thing for me personally, it’s fun. I just love creating chaos when it’s made so easy to do due to bad practice, sh1tty legislation and I get to stick it to the corps while I’m about it.

And, it does good for the trade in general. Even if they can’t see it.

K.

[bazza500]

Re: Us ~vs~Them

I am all for fighting for the independents but I suppose the obvious questions that spring to mind are

1) How much is this likely to cost or how much could it end up costing the WTA?

2) Could it end up being time consuming and do we have the resources to throw at it?

3) …… and can I ask at this stage who the target is 😀 ?

[kwatt]

Re: Us ~vs~Them

1. Dunno. Resources for it would have to be begged, borrowed and come from increases in membership, which I’m on the case with.

2. Dunno.

3. Got a couple in mind.

K.

[Steven]

Re: Us ~vs~Them

Yes go for it! Im up for it. About time we had a good punch up!
The gloves are well and truly off.
..INNN The Blue Corner…. the WTA :rotfl:

The increase in membership I assume by that you mean more numbers and not price?

[kwatt]

Re: Us ~vs~Them

Yes, it’s all about numbers. 😉

For the first round the WTA doesn’t actually need any money at all and, that might be enough. We’ll see.

K.

[Lawrence]

Re: Us ~vs~Them

my rule of thumb over this has been along the lines of

If you take out machiavelli,and the desire to kick over apple carts ,in a dispassionate view does this stack up well lets see –

1. will it benefit the members -yep
2. will it cost the WTA financially -If we do it right ,not as much as we may think .
3. will the outcome be worth the input -I think so
4. will there be legal implications for us as the team in charge -maybe but thats advice we take further down the road

I think we should do something ,this won’t be a full on toe to toe scrap ,this will be a little more subtle ,there will be a lot of “bigger picture “stuff going on ,and stuff happening that on the fa e of it may not make sense ,but there will be a broad outline and plan of action put together .

[Lawrence]

Re: Us ~vs~Them

kwatt wrote:given Lawrence’s capacity for typing with two fingers and whatnot…
K.

And that was with three fingers 😆

[kwatt]

Re: Us ~vs~Them

And missed a “c” trying to impress us with your keyboard dexterity. 😉

Sorry, couldn’t help myself.

K.

[Lawrence]

Re: Us ~vs~Them

😆 😆 😆 😆

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