Stop all ROV work worldwide until Day rates are increased

[Ray Shields]

Having just spent most of the last 6 months living in conditions akin to an eastern siberian goulag (a 20ft container welded to the top of another 20ft container on the backdeck of a psv with no aircon and airflow provided by a friggin garden leaf blower sucking air straight out the flow of the ships funnels – hooo haa, you try sleeping without it – AIRTIGHT – headaches were aweful). I sh*te thee not. Oh yeah, and basically just a two man crew providing 24 hour floating coverage. I was borrowing 2 ships crew just to launch and recover.

A shower room that was practically unsanitary and lethal in all but the most meagre of vessel rolls and experiencing 8-9m seas whilst my norwegian brethren sleep soundly in their posture-pedic matressed, air conditioned, plasma screened, onsuite bathroom, bed-rooms) we slept two to a cabin on the same shift and I had to sleep on a matress that I eventually threw off the mezz deck and thought about soaking in scotchkast to keep the bugs in.

Oh yeah, and the classic was having to walk across the LARS in seastate 6-7 to get to your scratcher in high seas.

So did you raise a near miss, stop cards, phone the HSE (Norway has an equivalent to the UK) or did you just moan about it and put up? At the start of one shift say, soryy I cant do the work I am sick due to fumes or sorry I have had 3 hoiurs sleep in the last 24 and it is a safety issue that I require more sleep so, no I will not operate the ROV.

As long as companies are allowed to get away with these conditions they will continue to do so. The Norwegians wont put up with it.

So who is the mug, them or you?

[Savante]

all minuted! and yeah, stopped the job many times. I’ll PM you the rest !

[oilypipe]

To All,

The letter below has been sent appox. 100 people all from the major ROV operators and Hiring agency and pubilications.

Regards
Oilypipe

To All,

You might have been following our ROV work Stoppage Worldwide campaign on http://www.rovworld.com ? Please make sure the appropriate people read this e-mail as it could save allot of people any serious problems.

Now that we have your attention, we are a group of ROV workers who work for YOU. We don’t wish to disrupt business but due to the Oil Giants posting huge quarterly profits and the price of oil coming close to $100 US dollars a barrel, All ROV personnel have been getting ready for a Work stoppage all over the world on January 8th 2008. The ROV crews that will be offshore during this time will be encouraged not to launch there Vehicles until a 25% day rate increase for all levels. When all the ROV operators agree on paying there workers the increase please send us an e-mail to this address or you can make a public statement on your respective websites? When we have heard from all the companies involved ROV crew’s will be asked to go back or continue on with work.

For all the company’s that wish to reply through this e-mail address, your response will be posted on http://www.rovworld.com so your employees will be able to see what companies are in support of a wage increase.

The diving industry have done the same tactic last year successfully, you the ROV operator’s just have to pass this increase on to the oil companies. All of our focus is not on hurting you the operators but going for what we deserve to get paid. ROV workers need to be highly trained and skilled people and we should be paid accordingly.

A copy of this letter will be posted on http://www.rovworld.com so that all of your workers can see that "Oilypipe" is committed and serious about the up coming ROV work stoppage. The group "Oilypipe" is made up of 10 offshore workers and we all have the password to this account and we are all offshore operating your equipment, We have at least one guy on each of the major ROV operators example Sonsub, Oceaneering, Fugro, SS7,Technip, DOfsubsea, Canyon and DMT. We are spread out all over the world, this way we could spread the word more efficiently.

The other way for us to get the 25% increase would to bring in a Uni0n, like the Maritime Uni0n of Australia or RMT of the UK? None of us wish to take this route as it would cause more problems and hard feeling between the offshore workers and management, That way would also cost us allot more than the 25% that we are asking for.

Please send this Letter to all your systems and inform all your workers to obey the work stoppage on January 8th 2008, If the oil companies don’t agree to pay the 25% day-rate increase. This is also a good opportunities for all the operator’s to raise there equipment day rates.

Please support all of your workers if they are forced to carry out a ROV work stoppage.

Regards
Oilypipe

[EugeneJ]

I do agree that companies can pay better, but my big concern is still the tax laws. Now there is two ways one can look at this.

One, the companies pay better to compensate for the huge losses we do on taxes. But that would mean that some guys…the clever ones…will be making real big killings by dodging taxes, and when found out, we all will suffer again from the start.

Two, companies and employees (in ALL offshore/oil industries) get together and work out some sort of initiative to get countries to tax ‘us’ appropriatly…NOT FULL RATE.

Afterall….we give half our lifes contributing to the worlds energy sources and not spending the time with our families.

It would be great if someone can come up with a feasable way of doing this?

[Savante]

If it’s any consolation, I’ve been past the harbour the last three days and have the following noise to make.

There are no vessels in harbour except the REM fortune and the Up esmerelda.

All the spot boats have charged out (on saturday – not sunday so I don’t think it had anything to do with the scandanavia incident).

Does this mean we are already at a point of saturation? ? In february…

MERCENARIES ASSEMBLE !!!!

[ROVRatt]

So anybody got news of what happened on 08 Jan 2008? I was offshore then and we didn’t even mention the topic, too busy keeping the ROV running. Anything happen at all?

[backeyeburner]

oilypipe, have a word with yourself sunshine!!! The diving industry was at a shortage at the time, so they had a bit of a strangle hold over the companys, hence the pay increase. The ROV world is different, for every one of us their are dozens waiting to get a start in the industry. Some of the companys are starting to take on local people, reference what part of the world your working. Now your asking people to potentialy sacrifice thier jobs, on a chance that they will listen? Stop sniffing the glue, think about what you where asking people to do, and get a hold of yourself!!!
Did you walk out when you asked? If so what impact on the industry did your one man crusade have? I, and the hundreds that work for the same company as me have not noticed a thing, so well done, we appreciate your efforts!!!!!!!!!!

[HairgriP]

This is finally your chance to speak up and stop being the lowest paid profession in the offshore world.

So are ROV techs getting paid less than equipment techs oilypipe?????

[subseascott]

So are ROV techs getting paid less than equipment techs oilypipe?????

Yes, afraid so!!!!!

End of the day, it’s not the hardest job in the world is it?!?!?!

[StickAddict]

How about just asking for more money? Don’t you think that would be a better first step. If that doesn’t work pack you bags and hit the road. That will have the same effect and the best part is you would be the only one who loses your job.

[Andy Shiers]

😆
I couldn’t have put it simpler , Very straight forward 😀

[Anonymous]

Having just spent most of the last 6 months living in conditions akin to an eastern siberian goulag (a 20ft container welded to the top of another 20ft container on the backdeck of a psv with no aircon and airflow provided by a friggin garden leaf blower sucking air straight out the flow of the ships funnels – hooo haa, you try sleeping without it – AIRTIGHT – headaches were aweful). I sh*te thee not. Oh yeah, and basically just a two man crew providing 24 hour floating coverage. I was borrowing 2 ships crew just to launch and recover.

A shower room that was practically unsanitary and lethal in all but the most meagre of vessel rolls and experiencing 8-9m seas whilst my norwegian brethren sleep soundly in their posture-pedic matressed, air conditioned, plasma screened, onsuite bathroom, bed-rooms) we slept two to a cabin on the same shift and I had to sleep on a matress that I eventually threw off the mezz deck and thought about soaking in scotchkast to keep the bugs in.

Oh yeah, and the classic was having to walk across the LARS in seastate 6-7 to get to your scratcher in high seas.

The utter ball-ache was the letter from the beach, posted on the mess wall, offering any norwegian sleeping in a cabin with another chap (even when they’re in back to back shifts!!) an extra 20 quid a day!

M8,

your a better man than me! i would have been telling them where to go!

and i suspect the "lost one" would have been the same!

[Savante]

aye, twas a veritable learning experience ! 😆

[Author]

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