SERCO AUH / ALN - what happened ??
Join Date: Feb 2004
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I THINK:
- ATCOs are generally satisfied with their salary in UAE (included AUH), also before the ATC Allowance came along! We know the exchange rates are poor, but if you spend your Dirhams inside UAE its ok
- BUT what ATCOs doesn't like is the poor Housing Allowance!!! and Furniture Allowance for that matter too.
- Medical Insurance are getting worse every year as well.
So Serco's attempt to recruit expat ATCOs to UAE with an ATC Allowance of 30.000 Dhs per year is probably not enough to make the current ATCOs "happy" but just to tell them "hold your horses, see what we can offer" and you might stay longer. At least until they have recruited more expats. These expats don't know yet that accommodation is expensive here (DXB and AUH), so perhaps they think "wauw, 200.000 per year PLUS 45/60K-55/75K Dhs for accommodation, I'm going" But wait a minute, find out what you want by going in the first place! If you have to transfer a large sum of money home every month = forget it! If not = try it, the lifestyle is easy (if you can take the crap, which comes along).
That's what I think...
- BUT what ATCOs doesn't like is the poor Housing Allowance!!! and Furniture Allowance for that matter too.
- Medical Insurance are getting worse every year as well.
So Serco's attempt to recruit expat ATCOs to UAE with an ATC Allowance of 30.000 Dhs per year is probably not enough to make the current ATCOs "happy" but just to tell them "hold your horses, see what we can offer" and you might stay longer. At least until they have recruited more expats. These expats don't know yet that accommodation is expensive here (DXB and AUH), so perhaps they think "wauw, 200.000 per year PLUS 45/60K-55/75K Dhs for accommodation, I'm going" But wait a minute, find out what you want by going in the first place! If you have to transfer a large sum of money home every month = forget it! If not = try it, the lifestyle is easy (if you can take the crap, which comes along).
That's what I think...
Join Date: Aug 2004
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Ha ha. A friend looked at something acceptable and ......150 000 AED. What about to be "in AUH Emirate only". I suppose buying something up north is just a dream.Yes! good homework! 
Last edited by 24007; 22nd Sep 2004 at 17:03.
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24007
Not sure what you are trying to say. Maybe your friend should do a bit more homework. 150k during training, 170k once validated. Add to that 30k ATC allowance. That is essentially your pocket money. If you are single you could be sending as much as R15 000 a month and still living a good life here.
Determine what you want out of life, be it money, travel, quality of life etc, etc. then draw your own conclusions.
Funny thing about the 30k increase we all got, not much has been said amongst all the ppruners. What's the matter, cat got your tongues???
I wonder if Serco will withdraw the allowance if the $ strenthens to previous levels? Food for thought.
Not sure what you are trying to say. Maybe your friend should do a bit more homework. 150k during training, 170k once validated. Add to that 30k ATC allowance. That is essentially your pocket money. If you are single you could be sending as much as R15 000 a month and still living a good life here.
Determine what you want out of life, be it money, travel, quality of life etc, etc. then draw your own conclusions.
Funny thing about the 30k increase we all got, not much has been said amongst all the ppruners. What's the matter, cat got your tongues???
I wonder if Serco will withdraw the allowance if the $ strenthens to previous levels? Food for thought.
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ok you all, what I meant was that he found a villa that seemed to be of an acceptable standard. Asking rent price: 150 k p.a. I think a 10 bedroom house on Clifton Beach (for those that are familiar with SA) would not be that high.I mean where does your'e precious Serco come up with 60 k for family. 
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OK, lets take this one step at a time.
1. Family in in Dubai = 75k, Abu Dhabi 60k.
2. 150k in either Abu Dhabi or Dubai would get you a pretty good villa. Abu Dhabi ranges from 65kfor a single floor 5 bedroomed villa (yes still available) to 80k for 2/3 floor villas. 125k will get you an 8-bedroomed villa off the island and closer to the golf club. Consider that the rooms in these villas are HUGE. Not to clued up on Dubai but you can generally get cheaper in Dubai.
3. Yes, prices are high in the UAE but also consider that it is part of your package. If the company pays x and you want y you pay the difference. Can't say I know of many companies that pay your housing? Can an ATC in SA afford Clifton? Come on guys, be realistic. But guys working here are able to afford good properties in SA, makes you think?
Keep in mind that the deal you get here is that your salary is essentially pocket money as most amneties are payed for; rent, water & lights, phone rent, school fees (private school rates), transport to work and back, flight money equivalant to the return cost home, etc, etc. Salary paid into your account every month is tax free.
Rumours are great. We can always go on about how this guy got screwed and that guy was messed about. Two sides to every tale.
Are the guys who are complaining really happy here? Maybe we must remember why they came here in the first place. Was it greed? Great exchange rate (yes rates do change). Or was it getting away from the company back home?
The grass is not always greener on the other side. Stories are made up to save face.
Bottom line is that Serco have given us an additional 30k a year. That is about 45-50k extra a year in SA TAX FREE! I am still confused as to why their has been no positive reaction to Sercos increase?????????
Some of the guys here that have already resigned would not have resigned had they known about the increase. Hindsight is a great thing, wish I had it.
Thanks Serco and good day.
1. Family in in Dubai = 75k, Abu Dhabi 60k.
2. 150k in either Abu Dhabi or Dubai would get you a pretty good villa. Abu Dhabi ranges from 65kfor a single floor 5 bedroomed villa (yes still available) to 80k for 2/3 floor villas. 125k will get you an 8-bedroomed villa off the island and closer to the golf club. Consider that the rooms in these villas are HUGE. Not to clued up on Dubai but you can generally get cheaper in Dubai.
3. Yes, prices are high in the UAE but also consider that it is part of your package. If the company pays x and you want y you pay the difference. Can't say I know of many companies that pay your housing? Can an ATC in SA afford Clifton? Come on guys, be realistic. But guys working here are able to afford good properties in SA, makes you think?
Keep in mind that the deal you get here is that your salary is essentially pocket money as most amneties are payed for; rent, water & lights, phone rent, school fees (private school rates), transport to work and back, flight money equivalant to the return cost home, etc, etc. Salary paid into your account every month is tax free.
Rumours are great. We can always go on about how this guy got screwed and that guy was messed about. Two sides to every tale.
Are the guys who are complaining really happy here? Maybe we must remember why they came here in the first place. Was it greed? Great exchange rate (yes rates do change). Or was it getting away from the company back home?
The grass is not always greener on the other side. Stories are made up to save face.
Bottom line is that Serco have given us an additional 30k a year. That is about 45-50k extra a year in SA TAX FREE! I am still confused as to why their has been no positive reaction to Sercos increase?????????
Some of the guys here that have already resigned would not have resigned had they known about the increase. Hindsight is a great thing, wish I had it.
Thanks Serco and good day.
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Radar Pete
Last edited by Bob is your uncle!; 23rd Sep 2004 at 14:46.
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2. 150k in either Abu Dhabi or Dubai would get you a pretty good villa. Abu Dhabi ranges from 65kfor a single floor 5 bedroomed villa (yes still available) to 80k for 2/3 floor villas.
To live off the island is A VERY BIG STEP. All the facilities are on the island (schools, shops, clubs etc). The prices on the island ARE VERY expensive. A new 3bdr APARTMENT will cost about 85k dhs (12 months up front, of which the co. will loan you HALF). Villas start at 90k, and that's at the bridge end. So you can see why NOT ONE SINGLE PERSON HAS, SO FAR, MOVED (except the contract managers
).So if you don't mind living in the company apartment, fine.
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Yep Radar Pete, the 30,000 dh "allowance" is nice, but considering we would have got a 5-6,000 DH raise for 2005 anyway, and we don't now, its more like 25,000. Considering we lose that years increase on any gratuity/SORAS take another 5,000 off what it means to us, so yeh the "20,000" increase is nice. Still doesn't get us up to what Bahrain controllers get, and goes nowhere near to making up for the loss we have taken from the exchange rate disaster most of us have gone through in the last two years. So yippee thanks for the rise, but still the allowance is completely inadequate, and was a complete waste of time.
So as Ferris said, if you are happy with the company flats, great come here, but don't think that you will get anything better for 60,000 dh's a year, and if you chip in extra for an old villa with individual A/c's don't think 6,000dh's for utilities will go even halfway to paying your annual bills. So disregard the allowance as irrelevant and a waste of time.
So as Ferris said, if you are happy with the company flats, great come here, but don't think that you will get anything better for 60,000 dh's a year, and if you chip in extra for an old villa with individual A/c's don't think 6,000dh's for utilities will go even halfway to paying your annual bills. So disregard the allowance as irrelevant and a waste of time.
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Come to Canada. That way you can pay your own housing, pay your own utilities, pay your own way to work, AND pay big taxes. But on the the other hand, you get to work with a great bunch of guys.
Sorry guys, I'm just trying to figure out what is so bad. Granted the exchange rate has gone down the drain, and it's difficult to get a decent place to live for a reasonable amount of money, but did everyone JUST go there for the money? Personally I wouldn't go to any country just for the money. It would have to be somewhere I wanted to be anyways.
Just seems like everyone is really upset about conditions that, to me, sound pretty decent.
Sorry guys, I'm just trying to figure out what is so bad. Granted the exchange rate has gone down the drain, and it's difficult to get a decent place to live for a reasonable amount of money, but did everyone JUST go there for the money? Personally I wouldn't go to any country just for the money. It would have to be somewhere I wanted to be anyways.
Just seems like everyone is really upset about conditions that, to me, sound pretty decent.
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Dusto, I am glad you posted cos it gives me the chance to highlight an important point. When comparing conditions you need to compare apples with apples. The Middle East, wherever you work, is a completely different situation to Canada, Australia, England, the US or wherever. It is an expat place, with expat conditions, you will never live here long term. You can not plan to retire here. You are living in a city in the middle of the desert, down the road from a country where people are being beheaded regularly. We are complaining because when we compare apples with apples, the apples in Abu Dhabi are smaller than the apples in Dubai, Bahrain and Muscat. We are handling the most traffic in the Middle East and we are being paid effectively the least. Comparisons to Western countries with western conditions are irrelevant. If you don't like the conditions in Canada come here, and get the tax free money, and the company provided flats, and education for the kids, but be prepared to live the life that forces the company to provide those benefits to get controllers.
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point taken.
I still loved it in Dubai though. Does Abu Dhabi have more traffic than Dubai though? I would have thought otherwise, although I've never looked at the levels.
I still loved it in Dubai though. Does Abu Dhabi have more traffic than Dubai though? I would have thought otherwise, although I've never looked at the levels.
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Ammenities
....as most amneties are payed for; rent, water & lights, phone rent, school fees
You get your telephone rental paid ??? Mine gets taken out of my pay each month
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Ok guys let's not let this become an us vs them thing, to clarify:
1. No I have not nor willing to get a promotion.
2. Check your payslip, 180 per annum added to salary for telephone rental, this is a whopping Dhs15 per month.
3. Hey Bob, cut out the insults and please explain what is so 'typically South African' with which you go on and contradict yourself in the same sentence. I hope you are not one of those that puts people in boxes with lables on?
I'm still a bit confused guys. To turn around and say that the allowance is a waste of time? Come on and get real, Dhs2500 per month extra can go a pretty long way here. Like I said before, lets see what happens when/if the $ strengthens again? You are all quick to moan when the $ weakens. Did you all come over here pretending that exchange rates don't fluctuate. Anyone working in the internatonal arena is a slave to exchange rates.
Any one else out there who has anything positive to say?
1. No I have not nor willing to get a promotion.
2. Check your payslip, 180 per annum added to salary for telephone rental, this is a whopping Dhs15 per month.
3. Hey Bob, cut out the insults and please explain what is so 'typically South African' with which you go on and contradict yourself in the same sentence. I hope you are not one of those that puts people in boxes with lables on?
I'm still a bit confused guys. To turn around and say that the allowance is a waste of time? Come on and get real, Dhs2500 per month extra can go a pretty long way here. Like I said before, lets see what happens when/if the $ strengthens again? You are all quick to moan when the $ weakens. Did you all come over here pretending that exchange rates don't fluctuate. Anyone working in the internatonal arena is a slave to exchange rates.
Any one else out there who has anything positive to say?
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Radar Pete
...WOW...you are right. They do pay me AED180 per year for phone rental... and I thought they were taking it off me...thanks SERCO.
I will have to start looking at my pay slips more closely from now on
I will have to start looking at my pay slips more closely from now on
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I'm still a bit confused guys. To turn around and say that the allowance is a waste of time? Come on and get real, Dhs2500 per month extra can go a pretty long way here.
Noone has said the 2,500 a month (in real terms, when the usual 2005 payrise and the effect of being an allowance and no proper salary rise has on gratuity etc, is taken out, more like 1,500 a month), is a waste of time. What was clearly said, so clearly that everyone but you has comprehended what was being said, was that that the ACCOMMODATION allowance, is a waste of time, as it is not enough to even release and maintain the accomodation (ie. high rise flats) we are in now, let alone looking towards a villa.
Please please please, find one of these mythical villas you were talking about on that island that has 5 bedrooms for 65,000 dirhams, and tell one of the guys looking cos they have been searching for 6 months now and have found nothing. Secondly with all up 66,000dh's being provided, even if the urban myth of a villa you refer to actually existed, you are still saying the ATC should shell out the (at least!) 10,000 dirhams a year to run the individual A/C's, water, lighting etc. Not only is the Accomodation allowance a joke, but the 6,000 dh's for utilities is as well. This has been proven by the fact that just how many people have moved out of the company provided flats so far to take up the allowance???
If you haven't been promoted then you better work on it, because with the selective hearing/reading you have displayed here, and your SERCO rose coloured glasses firmly fixed to the end of your nose, you are a perfect candidate for a management position.