Take a pay cut or not??

[Scott Beveridge]

OZ,

I would think that Surf is BASING and not EQUATING the pay scale with divers. Ie: using it (divers pay) as a starting point form the med-high to high end. Make sense now?

And Surf? What are you "doing" to the divers????

[James McLauchlan]

So how do you equate what you do to a diver then??, surely you are not comparing your job or pay scale to a diver. 🙄 🙄

He’s clearly not comparing his ‘job’ to that of a diver and he equally didn’t compare his job to that of a welders helper. If you look earlier in the thread you will also see him discussing the rates that welders helpers get compared to ROV.

Surf has a good point. It does appear that a few non technical trades are surpassing ROV on pay. Why? I guess is the main question.

Shit.. it can’t be that hard to learn how to use a grinder, prep and dress a few welds, sweep up and make tea.

You don’t have to be that clever to be a diver either.. been there, done that for 10 years and I’m not that clever.

Oh! and don’t kid yourself that diving is a dangerous job so they need to be paid mega bucks to put their lives on the line!… There’s probably more people been injured or killed driving taxi’s or in ROV accidents than have been in diving over the last 15 years (in the UK at least). The stats would most likely indicate that ROV is the more dangerous occupation of the two, led of course by the humble 4 x 4 driving housewife.. and they get more money than all of us.. plus the house in the end 😉 🙂

[Joel]

Yes noted and agreed, I was one also for quite a while until i smartened up 😀 . I just dont see the correlation or comparison between divers and ROVers. Apart from it involves water…..

ROVers would be better to pick a position within the industry that is comparable, I dont know what that might be but rig electrician or something like that and then peg to that. I wouldnt suggest Surveyors…. a party chief in Oz gets far less than a 1 year experienced ROV pilot.

[Scott Beveridge]

"I’m aw’right Jack"…. ad infinum…. We gotta retire soon James – tho’ you have the AC biz’ so’s it’sa gonna be harder…

[Robert Branch]

I would say that the ROV and the diving industry are very comparable in that they both carry out the same kind of work..ie underwater inspection and construction..Pretty straight forward dont you think??

[K2]

I was approached by an agency a few days back for a job in a few weeks time. The rate was paltry so I asked them to approach the client for a better rate. Later that day a whole team had been found and were taking the rates offered. Speaks volumes………

Regardless of how low companies will go there will always be someone who will accept. As long as people accept, the companies will go low.

Someone is laughing somewhere as they put the contractors money into their own bonus package……… There must be lots of desperate ROV workers out there…….

Stay safe & stand your ground

😉

[senior]

It’s just typicall…some desperate scabs with money problems are taking a paycut
and it can only set a lower bench mark for the rest of us savvy rovers to argue from.
Name and shame the agency, the job, the client so adventually it will come out, who the desperate scabs are!!!.

One for all and all for one

cheers,
senior $$

[James McLauchlan]

I was approached by an agency a few days back for a job in a few weeks time. The rate was paltry so I asked them to approach the client for a better rate. Later that day a whole team had been found and were taking the rates offered. Speaks volumes………

In the past I have been in the same situation. I turned the rate down and went on to bigger and better jobs as a result.

Those taking the work now are most likely desperate. I can imagine them offshore in the coffee shack saying… ‘this is a crap rate, I was on more last year’ !! In a while the pot of anyone willing to go out on shit rates will have dried up and the clients will have to pay. With Oil at $80/barrel and the oil co’s doing very well thank you, who are the mugs here??

The market is flooded with ROV wannabees who probably picked up a couple of days last year and now view themselves as ROV pros (albeit cheap ones), until that rights itself by natural culling, they will sell their souls for a few days offshore.

There appears to be loads more agencies around chasing the same jobs. I would suggest they are taking lower rates from the clients and trying to push them onto ROV. It’s a very sad situation but one brought upon ourselves so there is nobody else to blame but ourselves.

Remember people.. the North Sea divers are getting a pay rise this year and the price of oil can easily support it.

[Gordon Duncan]

Many people will take a pay cut not because they have a lack of money, however they enjoy and take pride in there work.

As for comments that a lot of these are ‘ROV wannabees,’ I would not call people that have done electronics since 12 years old, compitent to board level design and fault finding, having a registered trade, an MSc in Electronics and Computing and 18 years experience in the ROV field a ‘wannabee’.

I have not had a lack of work in the field and have two contracts for designing new boards for a system(not through Agency), rebuild of a full workclass system(Agency) and work offshore as a Senior Supervisor(Agency). I have not needed to take a pay cut either.

I am well known throughout the industry. Why do people not just go out and look for jobs, instead of just going to the same agencies. You can apply direct.

There seam to be a lot of people moaning on this site. Do not moan do something about it.

[Robert Branch]

Why is it that its only the ROV industry in this situation..Why are there so many unskilled idiots in the ROV industry.How do they get in in the first place..Why do the ROV companies take on unskilled people…Surely the ROV industry should be one of the most skilled and highly regarded jobs in the oil and gas industry,but it isnt and why?

[Gordon Duncan]

Surf91, I totally agree. Many of the people are unskilled and do not deserve to be in the industry due to there severe lack of technical skills.

Also there comments on work in different countries not acepting different nationalities for working there. If it is not there country they should be proud to be offered work there.

[Robert Branch]

Sub Engineers who cant fly an ROV have you ever come across this breed.
Fixing the Sub they are great,get them on the sticks and they are wrapped around the crane wire..Will these companies ever learn..I doubt it…Just open another box of Rov,ers..

[James McLauchlan]

As for comments that a lot of these are ‘ROV wannabees,’ I would not call people that have done electronics since 12 years old, compitent to board level design and fault finding, having a registered trade, an MSc in Electronics and Computing and 18 years experience in the ROV field a ‘wannabee’.

Gogsie
Bit of an over sensitive reaction there eh? 😕

It’s pretty obvious (I thought) that I am not suggesting any well qualified competent person with 18 years ROV experience a Wannabe!

I was loosely referring to (the no doubt many) people that were sucked into taking an ROV course 12 months back and only got a few days in (if any) last season. These are the ones that may well be looking at undercutting or going out on cheap rates just to get a chance at jumping in early ahead of the more experienced competition. Why companies think cheap means quality I do not know.

To all
The day rates are set under an agreement will be the day this undercutting/take a pay cut thing gets knocked on the head. It’s very damaging for our industry. People that take a pay cut need to consider if all their expenses go down as well? Mortgage, kids schooling, food/fuel bills, cost of running the car etc: NOPE!

The divers had this problem years back until the ODIA came into force. Some foreign divers used to head to Aberdeen and sit around trying to get work. The South African Divers were known for it. There were tricks like work the first trip for free, go out on half pay for the second trip etc.
I’ve seen near punch ups offshore when guys that went out cheap one week were followed up on the same job a week later by guys on 50%/day more!! Do people want to see that happen to ROV?

In all my years in this game (more than 5) I have never seen people, suggest that taking a pay cut in the way forward. I’ve never taken a day rate reduction for offshore work.. Oil is at $80.00/bbl the oil co’s are making loads of money so why are we discussing pay cuts??

To those that are thinking about going out for less than you did last year:
Stick out for a decent rate or go and undermine another industry but leave ours alone please!

regards
James Mc

[ROVSKI]

The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. We can rave, we can rant and we can explain but the results are still the same, the scabs are still scabbing.
Collective bargaining would be good for all the industry, even our employers. With fixed rates for labour across the board it would be a more even playing field when they go out to tender. Then they could select their staff on ability and not price and jobs would get done more efficiently.
James has offered advice on how we could all be better off but not many listened to his common sense suggestions during the busy times and now we are all paying the price.
Looking at the number of hits on the jobs in Oz thread, it appears that many would be keen to earn a respectable living but would prefer others to fight for their rights.

[ROVSKI]

Many people will take a pay cut not because they have a lack of money, however they enjoy and take pride in there work.

What planet are you from ? Take me to your dealer. Take the blue pill and go directly to Sclub 7

[Author]

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