Manchester airport Concorde jobs

[MAN777]

Just seen this on TAS website

Tour Guides on Concorde wanted

TAS Vacancies (http://tasmanchester.co.uk/TAS_Vacancies.html)

[TURIN]

The position is for a zero hour contract,

Despicable!!!!:mad:

[Skipness One Echo]

The position is for a zero hour contract, with a highly competitive hourly rate.
Big shout out to Annette Clark at HR for this one. Would it be wrong to express polite displeasure directly given that she has gone and published her email addy?

[email protected]

Something like

Dear Annette,

Please stop :mad: on people when times are tough,

Regards,
The Decent Majority.

Or are we just going to whinge on here?

#actuallyDOsomething

[TURIN]

Outspoken as ever Skippy.

I applaud you're sentiment but I do not intend to jeopardise my career.

[Noah Zark.]

Zero hour contracts are a travesty! They really are!
(Just a slight aside, but I had a look round G-BOAD in New York when I was fortunate enough to have a few days there. I regard it as "my" aeroplane, because I was priviliged to see it brand spanking new in its hangar at Filton, immediately prior to delivery to B.A. However, the point of this waffle is, the guy who conducted the look-see round 'AD was a guy named Fontaine Piper, and he was brilliant. He knew every nut, bolt, & rivet personally!

[philbky]

In 1978 I approached Gordon Sweetapple with the idea of a spectators' enclosure at the brickworks which had become an unnoficial spotting area.

He was receptive but their was a problem with the ownership of the land. Eventually the problems were overcome. The initial idea was to offer free parking, paid toilets and give enthusiasts and the casual visitor chance to watch safely without obstructing traffic, crash gates or, as happened on bank holidays or when a rare or special aircraft was due, clog the surrounding roads.

The Bollin Valley people ran the first area. Time moved on and the site moved to the other side of the runway. Eventually TAS took over, the exhibits arrived and the site became the excellent facility it is today.

Obviously it has to pay its way but there are limits as to what is necessary and what is acceptable. The parking charges have gone through the roof yet the surfaces regularly puddle. The hours in winter are reduced to a minimum. Now we have the proof that money, or rather maximising profit, is the driving force rather than providing a facility for viewing and education.

Zero hour contracts are an abomination and akin to 21st century sweat shop labour. The advert promises what most will interpret as a good salary yet TAS and the airport are extremely coy and haven't the honesty to publish the pay rates for the rather detailed and specific skill sets demanded.

There will be many people who will apply who need the money and will be grateful for the job. Gratefulness for employment should have gone with the 19th century.

As an ex pat Mancunian I'm ashamed of TAS and the airport which I have visited since being nine years old and, at one stage, played a very small part in promoting.

[avturboy]

Another sickening reality of the modern employment situation is the inclusion of this line in the TAS jobs adverts ....

"Only applicants who are invited to interview will be contacted, if you have not received a reply by Wednesday 8th April your application has not been successful this time."

Showing total contempt for those applying, they can't even be bothered to offer the courtesy of a 'thanks but no thanks' note to the unsuccessful candidates. I know this is par for the course these days but it doesn't make it right.

As for the line "highly competitive hour rate" that means squat, it's just a bad as job adverts where there is no indication of rate of pay but applicants are asked to state their current earnings. What on earth happened to showing people some respect?

This of course is all in keeping with the notion that these matters are dealt with by 'human resources' and not the personnel department.

Probably showing my age!

[MAN777]

The RVP is owned and managed by MAG not TAS.

TAS have the shop concession and also supply staff to MAG for the Concorde tours.

Historically, TAS or should I say individuals who happened to be members of TAS were the driving force behind the succession of facilities and schemes that were provided for visitors and enthusiasts but they were never the managers or owners of the RVP or AVP as previously known.

Without TAS Manchester airport could easily have been an anti spotter airport with no facilities provided at all.

I agree zero hours contracts are not the best arrangement to work under but I presume that the nature of the job is one of peaks and troughs, much like most jobs in the airport these days.

I posted the link to the job adverts because I thought there might actually be people who would like the prospect of working on Concorde regardless of conditions of pay. :confused:

[philbky]

TAS has done excellent work in the past and no doubt will continue to do so, especially important as the aviation enthusiasts who used to occupy a range of management positions at the airport have either retired or moved on.

It is however crystal clear that their name is irretrievably linked to the positions and thus the conditions pertaining. As to peaks and troughs, that is no excuse for zero hour contracts. There are plenty of other ways of smoothing those out.

[avturboy]

I posted the link to the job adverts because I thought there might actually be people who would like the prospect of working on Concorde regardless of conditions of pay. :confused:

A good motivation and you are no doubt correct that some folks will be interested (whatever this highly competitive rate of pay is). The cynic in me suspects that those offering the job know there are likely to be potential candidates who'll do the job for nothing. The competitive rate could turn out to be minimum wage ... well that's what the big names in retailing do.

I can fully identify with a willingness to do anything to get near that beautiful bird, been there and got the Tee-shirt myself. However I was lucky to be in the full time employ of a 'decent' company to get my share of the action ... those were the days!

[crewmeal]

It will be interesting to see what the hourly rate will be, plus what hours, shifts and days off you are expected to work.

Of course being zero hours there wouldn't be a contract or any permanency to the position as they could kick your ass anytime they choose.

[Cymmon]

But also remember it means no sick pay and no holiday pay......:eek:

[Dr Jekyll]

"Only applicants who are invited to interview will be contacted, if you have not received a reply by Wednesday 8th April your application has not been successful this time."

Showing total contempt for those applying, they can't even be bothered to offer the courtesy of a 'thanks but no thanks' note to the unsuccessful candidates. I know this is par for the course these days but it doesn't make it right.


I don't really agree with this. Being out of work is depressing enough without rejection after rejection cluttering up your inbox. Once I've applied for a job I prefer to forget all about it unless I hear something positive.

[mmitch]

The Concorde Experience at Brooklands is manned by volunteers 7 days a week. Most of the maintenance is done by them too.
mmitch.

[avturboy]

I don't really agree with this. Being out of work is depressing enough without rejection after rejection cluttering up your inbox. Once I've applied for a job I prefer to forget all about it unless I hear something positive.

Dr J, I understand where you are coming from. However as a member of the working population for over 42 years, and not being one of those with a vocational leaning from day one (i.e. I've been around the block!), then my mindset is to want acknowledgement/closure on any opportunity I have pursued.

[TURIN]

I agree zero hours contracts are not the best arrangement to work under but I presume that the nature of the job is one of peaks and troughs, much like most jobs in the airport these days.

I posted the link to the job adverts because I thought there might actually be people who would like the prospect of working on Concorde regardless of conditions of pay.

Ooooooh yes please. Me, me, me can I please? In fact I'll pay you just to get close to 'her'!!!:mad:

Do you really think people are that desperate? There are bills to pay, mouths to feed.

Just because a job has peaks and troughs is no excuse to ride rough shod over hard fought for working rights and conditions. I work at the airport, and like most people I know there, we have peaks and troughs. We still get paid a decent wage. Not exploited by crap T & Cs.

As has been said, zero hours contracts are an abomination and should be legislated out. May 8th could be a chance to do that.

[SpringHeeledJack]

I'd say that the operator of the experience knows that there are plenty of experienced and enthusiastic people who, perhaps retired, are looking for such an opportunity and would be more malleable to accepting lesser remuneration. It's not nice, but zero hour contracts are a fact of modern life, good for the employers, bad for the workers. It's a no brainer for the employer here, seasonal fluctuations, less income, no profit etc etc. Maybe the solution will be for the entry fee to rise to a level that will allow a decent operating profit and decent wages for full time staff.


SHJ