Agencies and monopoly.

[riche71]

i have a company that supplies skilled tradesman to the aircraft industry and today
my company was told to clear all its men of site by Friday and that any tradesman who wants to stay on site cannot work through my
company.
i have been contracting for twenty years and about four years ago hit on the idea of forming a maintenance company that supplied
labour that would not be advertised for because i would simply use only people known
only to me who i have worked with in the past and had the respect for as high class tradesman.
i also thought that the CAA themselves would support us as we infact would be self policing and as we were still on the tools it would be easy for us to reference check
anyone wishing to work for us and of course it would not be in our interest to employ
indifferent labour.we infact unlike most agencies would go for quality and not quantity.
but there has been no support from the CAA
and also the agencies we were up against have held sway with misinformed management and have had us kicked off site.
can anybody not see that the conventional
agency set up is not any good for the industry and the fact that agencies are being allowed to force through one site one
or two prefered agencies is detrimental to aircraft safety.
how comes the tradesman i use and myself included are good enough to work on site through an agency but we are incapable of running our own setup and working as a complete unit.
by the way we have our own public liability,
certificate of incorporation,vat registration
etc.

[jetfueldrinker]

Looks like someone is out to bust your arse. I wish you well and hope that things work out for you.

[ottiss]

it is that that pompus british attitude. it is not what you know it is who you know.

[Jango]

Sounds like some other agency is either jealous of your set up or they see you as a major threat to their nest egg with the facility you are working at.

Did they give any specific reasons why they wanted you off-site asap?

Tidy web site by the way, but could use some more detail.

Good luck.

------------------
Old age and treachery will always triumph over youth and enthusiasm.

[aeroguru]

yes, good looking site but not helped professionally by the mispelling of aircraft in one instance!
The requirements for agencies have been tightened recently in every respect.

[time-ex]

With respect - have you fallen foul of the recently issued Airworthiness Notice #14 Appendix 3 JAR 145 Sub-contracting.

[riche71]

Thanks for all your replies.
Time Ex please tell me where I can get the relevent information.

[time-ex]

Ask the nearest CAA Licenced Engineer to look at the latest bundle of Airworthiness Notices sent to all Licenced Engineers and Aircraft Operators recently and seek out Airworthiness Notice #14 Appendix 3 JAR 145 Sub-contracting.
There is also a notice saying that all this info is going on the CAA website but I have not looked into this yet.

[time-ex]

Riche71 - I hope the AWN 14 I sent direct to your email address helped one way or another.

[Multi-X]

It is about time the ALAE set up an agency run for minimum profits. this would allow us to get better rates rather than have lots of leaches taking money from our pockets as they haggle to get the contract. While they reduce the rates they still keep their margin - result we get screwed yet again.

As the shortage increases we need to get one agency to look after us all - ALAE. What do the rest of you think?

[spannersatcx]

Multi-X, why not ask the ALAE (http://www.lae.mcmail.com) They had their AGM yesterday, that would of been a good point to raise!

[Jango]

I could see that being an agency would be far too much for ALAE to take on. But perhaps they should act as controlling body where only ALAE registered and vetted agencies should get the work...but now you have created more red tape which would start more back street set ups trying to avoid being vetted, recruiting dodgy staff at cheaper rates, which naturally, would be the ones who would get the contracts as third party facility bean counters are the ones who call the shots...tough one.

But Rich, what was the actual reason given to you for your company being told to leave the premises?


------------------
Old age and treachery will always triumph over youth and enthusiasm.

[This message has been edited by Jango (edited 09 April 2001).]

[riche71]

thanks for all your replies.
On speaking with the CAA as a supplier of skilled labour we are not yet infringing on JAR145 this will only happen if and when we get premises to work from.
There was no reason given to me or my partner as to why we had to be off site.At the end some 20 guys wanted to work with us
and the agencies could not object but a manager there said if they wanted to work for us they would all be cleared off site and blacked and the only way they would be allowed on site was if they carried on working to the three inhouse agencies.In fact
one agency was kicked off site with us but they were then asked to a meeting with the management and are now back on site I/We were not shown any courtesy at all.
And I agree there needs to be an improvement
on the standard of agency allowed to supply
to the market but has any agency ever operated independantly of other agencies to offer us connies a better deal, in twenty years of connying I dont think so.
We contractors have no union representation
no agency gets us the best deal we should form ourselves into some sort of viable outfit that self regulates and gets the best deals for us whether we are LT's,Multi X,
fitters, mechs, sheetmetal workers etc.

[riche71]

Further to the above I would love the CAA to meet with a cross section of us contractors
and listen to us.
I also hope that should the company my partner and I have started get off the ground and become supported by connies all over then the CAA would work with us as a
team and monitor the growth every six months or so.

[itwilldoatrip]

Richie name the agencies and lets black them they need us as much as we need them.

Jango you're right the ALAE (as a member) would find it too much. But as someone who has contracted we NEED someone ON OUR BEHALF to police.
Spannerstax I actually went to the last ALAE AGM and they had to wake me up. All bxxxsxxt and talk it's about time we got together.

[riche71]

I dont think it is really fair to ask guys to
black agencies at this point until at least
we as professionals get ourselves in a position of bargaining.Many guys who contract
have no possibility of sustaining a meagre living without connying.
I dont want to look like a martyr or anything here but I think it would be beneficial to guys to support the company my partner and I have in place.
The contract we did have we were paying straight fitters £13.65 per hour while established agencies were paying £11.00 and
£13.00 for tank work.
As a tradesman I believe the guys who should
get the money are the guys on the tools.