RMT slams SS7 on pay/conditions through hiring cheap labour

[James McLauchlan]

I dont know if SS7 trainee P/T’s are staff. By staff I mean they have a contact of employment and a salary plus benefits. I presume they are day rate, with the possibilty of a staff position at a later date.

They are on the following contracted 90 day employment package:

Salary of US$1065 with the option to earn overtime up to take it to a maximum of US$2159

They are doing 6 weeks on and 2 weeks off.

Further information I will not divulge, but that is enough to give people the idea. Oh… they are not day rates of course!

Now, does that mean they will do a 90 day trip away from home? If not, what will they be doing in-between offshore trips? Sitting in a hotel.. or, as loyal salary staff, working at the base on work permits?

[Anonymous]

Not sure what breakdown brings to the table? The new Filippino ROV lads, who have a contact have replaced non-contracted UK day rate personnel…its that a fair summary?

[James McLauchlan]

Not sure what breakdown brings to the table?

It brings to the table the low rates that SS7 are paying imported cheap ROV labour in the UK offshore sector that’s what.

No matter what is said these imports are preventing UK ROV trainees and later P/T’s from gaining work offshore. SS7 can package it how they like but that is the end result of their actions.

The new Filippino ROV lads, who have a contact have replaced non-contracted UK day rate personnel…its that a fair summary?

I would suggest that, on the subject of employing cheap labour, nothing coming out of Subsea 7 at the moment can be taken at face value, so I wouldn’t know whether yours is a fair summary or not.

[Anonymous]

It seems fairly clear. Most folk have no issue with cheap labour, when its used on boats down in Brazil, Mid-East or Asia. As soon as those lads step foot in the North Sea its outragous, slave labour. What a difference a flight makes.

The UK sector for the Brits only is what I say, Brazil for the Brazilians, Angola for Angolans, Thailand for the Thai’s….. that should work a treat.

[James McLauchlan]

I repeat….

I would suggest that, on the subject of employing cheap labour, nothing coming out of Subsea 7 at the moment can be taken at face value……

[Scott Beveridge]

It seems fairly clear. Most folk have no issue with cheap labour, when its used on boats down in Brazil, Mid-East or Asia. As soon as those lads step foot in the North Sea its outragous, slave labour. What a difference a flight makes.

The UK sector for the Brits only is what I say, Brazil for the Brazilians, Angola for Angolans, Thailand for the Thai’s….. that should work a treat.

225,

And then get ready for demobbing systems with empty TMS’s – so you’re willing to stay in the North Sea instead of say….. Africa? Oooops… sorry, the SS7 uplift for the Dark Continent is gone as well.

[James McLauchlan]

Subsea 7’s use of foreign workers worries RMT

Please see attached article (.pdf file) extracted from the online P & J (06-10-2009)
It is available for download (577kb).
Please print and distribute accordingly.

the_press_and_journal_09_10_20093_688.pdf

Description: Subsea 7’s use of foreign workers worries RMT

Filename: the_press_and_journal_09_10_20093_688.pdf

Download

[Paulo Lee]

I just hope somebody finds something that is not legal the way it is done by SS7 and get them by the balls. This pure greedy mentality without any moral doubts really upsets me.

Anybody employed with SS7 should have a look around the way things are done, if there is anything that might be worth reporting, he should do so.
e.g. entering on tourist visa, etc…..

[Anonymous]

Agency hands and contractors loosing out…oh well

[Scott Beveridge]

Agency hands and contractors loosing out…oh well

WT….????? You , pal, are a I don’t know what! You definitely must be management w/SS7 a richard cranium!!!! good luck with the Nigerian trainees.

Spread the word lads / lasses – this is management at it’s worst and showing it’s teeth – kill the beast NOW!!! Awright Jack!

[James McLauchlan]

Agency hands and contractors loosing out…oh well

…… and your point is?

[HelpMaBoab]

This 225 character is fairly making a name for himself with his comments, or maybe he is on a fishing trip. 😈

Anyway,
Unless we get our act together in a collective way and get away from the "I’m all right Jack" ROV 5 Bucks a day more than the next man syndrome, we are all going to find our selves taking massive pay cuts in the near future, and that will include staffers.
Remember, there will always be somebody out there that will undercut your wages.
The job will still get done, It will take longer and the occaisional "lost ROV" will happen, but it will still get done and the management will have won and you will be getting the same money as somebody stacking shelves in Tesco.

[Anonymous]

Guys

Perhaps the last post was a bit controversial. However my previous post raised the question of when is it slave labour? It would appear only when these guys work in the UK sector. If nobody is bothered they get poor rates when they work back home in Brazil/Angloa/Philippines and only concerned when they fly into Aberdeen. Then the argument is never about slave labour and only about UK job protection issues.

I freely work worldwide. Should I insist these guys never work in the UK sector? These guys try and screw as much money out of the ROV companies as they can, as we all do. I say good luck to them.

…and chill

[James McLauchlan]

If nobody is bothered they get poor rates when they work back home in Brazil/Angloa/Philippines and only concerned when they fly into Aberdeen. Then the argument is never about slave labour and only about UK job protection issues.

This is about pay in the UK sector though, and therefore concerns UK jobs. Who, living and working in the UK, paying UK taxes, is going to be bothered what these people earn in their own neck of the woods when it’s about the same as they get anywhere in the world? These Filipinos are happy and they will take the same money home no matter where they work in the world. It will life as normal for them.

The cost of living in the Philippines (and the other countries mentioned) is way low and they can survive at home quite happily on these wages and they do. That’s why they are coming here!

In Indonesia a barge master I knew was on USD$1000/month. On that money he had two house and put his three kids through college. Try that in the UK.

Based on the money they are being paid in the North Sea and the cost of living in the UK it would mean that these people could not afford to live here and they wouldn’t, unless you paid them a much higher rate to enable them to do so.

It certainly is exploitation on the part of the company.

Should I insist these guys never work in the UK sector?……

No, you shouldn’t. I don’t want to insist on that either. What I would want to see is proof that a UK worker is not available to do the same job and evidence would need to be provided to immigration to that effect.

If they can do it in Oz it can be done here. You can’t just send a foreigner to Oz and take them offshore in the Oil & Gas sector without a work permit. I’m reasonably sure about that, but am prepared to be corrected.
On the contrary a UK based company is legally able to legally import cheap labour to work offshore in the UK sector with not so much as a hint of a work permit being required.
What chance to UK workers have against that?

I think it entirely fair that UK based offshore people should fight this and try to protect their own future. Any UK citizens (no mater where they live) accepting the idea of foreigners taking away UK jobs should have their rates dropped to the same level and see how they get on.

[Mark DuPriest]

It occurs to me that perhaps the UK personnel should pressure their politicians to enact laws that require a % of the workforce to be UK citizens/residents. Other countries do this and companies deal with it…why do you think Nigerians are employed at all?
But probably against The Hague’s (EU) conventions?

Must say nothing personally against Nigerians except that the men there are equal to my 12 year old son in terms of knowledge of hand tools and work ethics.

Out of curiosity is SS7 informing their Contractual Partners that they are employing non 1st world technicians/pilots at the same time as getting payment from the Clients for the services based on costs of 1st world tech’s /pilots?
Rhetorical.

[Author]

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