He said that publishing a minimum rate gives one-off clients with no experience of dealing with tradesmen a benchmark figure to compare with rates being charged by companies.
Mr Holmes said that the trade bodies did not feel that the recommending of a minimum rate was anti-competitive.
However, he said the Jersey Competition Regulatory Authority (JCRA) contacted the bodies to say the minimum recommended rate could be an infringement of the new Competition Law.
‘We as a federation did not want to mount a legal challenge, partly because of the possible costs – we have limited funds,’ he said.
