If only it wasn't civilianised
Join Date: Aug 2011
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Sorry, I guess this is my fault, this strike beleive it or not, isn't about pay. The wages with wallop have been closing year on year. In 2010 our company agreed to bring inline its wages with our sister site for the same kind of job, it asked if they could pospone it for 12 moths as it was their first year there. All fine so far I hope. For those of you that haven't had a pay rise lately, I feel sorry for you, but I hope you can understand that other people do and we were one of the lucky ones I guess.
The problem is, when they came to deliver, they flatly refused telling us 'what we said last year is in honour only, it isn't legally binding and theres nothing you can do about it'. Do you see, it was a blatent lie to shut us up for 12 months. It was a lie to squeeze a few more quid out of us. It wasn't anything other than that. I don't care if I get a pay rise or not especially. I quite like my job. Or at least I did until these goons took it over. When Morson took over there were 40 union members, now theres 120, all exmillitary, mostly crabs, less around 6 civis-ish. Thats in the last 18 months. Civis have been here for around 15 years, quite happily. This was the straw that broke it.
Something else, the strike wont particularily affect production. Its to cause maximum embarressment and administrative burden to Morson. No poor blokes going to be without his Top Cover, no team of army blokes is going to sweep in and save the day. Its to make a huge public political statement against a greedy unscrupeless employer. Sadly the media aren't on our side. They see us as greedy mercenaries holding our country to ransom, much like lots of you. Which I hope you now understand is rubbish. No one cares about a payrise (it would be nice of course though), we're just fighting back the only way we can.
Oh and if I seemed a bit angry and patronising in my original post, thats cos I was, so I apologise. Sincere thanks pprune for not publishing my last post.
The problem is, when they came to deliver, they flatly refused telling us 'what we said last year is in honour only, it isn't legally binding and theres nothing you can do about it'. Do you see, it was a blatent lie to shut us up for 12 months. It was a lie to squeeze a few more quid out of us. It wasn't anything other than that. I don't care if I get a pay rise or not especially. I quite like my job. Or at least I did until these goons took it over. When Morson took over there were 40 union members, now theres 120, all exmillitary, mostly crabs, less around 6 civis-ish. Thats in the last 18 months. Civis have been here for around 15 years, quite happily. This was the straw that broke it.
Something else, the strike wont particularily affect production. Its to cause maximum embarressment and administrative burden to Morson. No poor blokes going to be without his Top Cover, no team of army blokes is going to sweep in and save the day. Its to make a huge public political statement against a greedy unscrupeless employer. Sadly the media aren't on our side. They see us as greedy mercenaries holding our country to ransom, much like lots of you. Which I hope you now understand is rubbish. No one cares about a payrise (it would be nice of course though), we're just fighting back the only way we can.
Oh and if I seemed a bit angry and patronising in my original post, thats cos I was, so I apologise. Sincere thanks pprune for not publishing my last post.
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Norty:
One of todays facts of life and you guys are going to have to do what you're going to have to do, whatever it may be, plain and simple.
I think a number of us just lament that such things were ever outsourced/civilianised in the first place, but that ship has long since sailed and those at the top either encouraged it or stood by and watched it happen and did nothing. This is where our great leaders of the 1990's era led us.
Personally, if I were in your shoes, I doubt I would feel any different to what you do. You have to look after your own, because if you dont, sure as hell no-one else will.
One of todays facts of life and you guys are going to have to do what you're going to have to do, whatever it may be, plain and simple.
I think a number of us just lament that such things were ever outsourced/civilianised in the first place, but that ship has long since sailed and those at the top either encouraged it or stood by and watched it happen and did nothing. This is where our great leaders of the 1990's era led us.
Personally, if I were in your shoes, I doubt I would feel any different to what you do. You have to look after your own, because if you dont, sure as hell no-one else will.
Join Date: Aug 2011
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You see Jabba, the problem we're having is that whenever its reported in the media its about, engineers on strike over £3000 pay difference, what will the troops in afgan do then?. Thats not the case. Our union boss talked on camera for around 30 minutes on the local news, his comments were reduced to about 20 seconds. All edited to promote their original view.
We'd heared what this company was like and the rumours were proved right. So I could leave I suppose, hell go to Wallop. I'd much rather be there than Wattisham, but why should I. I agreed something in good faith and got shafted, quite openly and deliberately. If they'd said times were hard and moneys tight we all have to make sacrifices, thats a fair point and we'd have carried on our grumbly old selves.
On trawling the internet on what was being said about us, this site came up. Most shrugged their shoulders, I thought it was important to try and explain. We're not a bunch of crazy militants, we're a bunch of aircraft engineers of one sort or another, who on the whole have done their 22 years, who continue to do the job they've done all their lives, to the standards they've always employed, just as many of you are on here I would guess. Or if not now sometime later. Difference is your boss hasn't got race horses to buy like mine and needs all the cash he can get and isn't too fussy how he gets it.
We'd heared what this company was like and the rumours were proved right. So I could leave I suppose, hell go to Wallop. I'd much rather be there than Wattisham, but why should I. I agreed something in good faith and got shafted, quite openly and deliberately. If they'd said times were hard and moneys tight we all have to make sacrifices, thats a fair point and we'd have carried on our grumbly old selves.
On trawling the internet on what was being said about us, this site came up. Most shrugged their shoulders, I thought it was important to try and explain. We're not a bunch of crazy militants, we're a bunch of aircraft engineers of one sort or another, who on the whole have done their 22 years, who continue to do the job they've done all their lives, to the standards they've always employed, just as many of you are on here I would guess. Or if not now sometime later. Difference is your boss hasn't got race horses to buy like mine and needs all the cash he can get and isn't too fussy how he gets it.
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One last thing, on the subject of ruthless mercenaries holding the country to ransom: we've been told that for every aircraft that goes out ON TIME, a 1million bonus gets paid. Thats over 30million a year on top of the usual rate. And here we are quibling about 3k over 3 years. Ooh me bad
Join Date: Dec 2003
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Well the contracting market is looking up so the days of companies holding the rates down will not last for much longer! Many of these rates have stayed the same for 5 years plus! The cost of living decidedly hasnt !
Join Date: Aug 2011
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Guys you have to stop looking at from your point of view. The question is 'your boss has ****** you over, what will you do?' Thats my point of view. I have to live with the cosiquenes until I leave. Its more than just cancelling a display as someone on here thought so heinous. More than just ' the contract field is picking up'. This is my last comment. I hope you understand a bit better. The openining comments to this thread were quite hurtfull. Everyone we've spoken too and explained our side has realised we're not to blame. We have a nasty greedy company thats all. Its all legal and above board. On top of the the 14 million wage bill, our dispute will cost 30k. The company will get 1 billion just in bonus's over 3 years. Sadly for some of u ppruners, I feel i'm not so greedy and shoudn't be shot for mutiny as you'd like. Regards. Norty.
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Who cares ! if you work for a contract company your not a full time employee -your on contact end of story! You have as much loyalty to who you work for as they have to you ! So when a job offers you a few quid more you jump -you have no sentiment about it! Believe me its a harsh world when they want to get rid of people or change working practices so get used to it!
Contracting is all about making as much money as you can until the contract finishes -end of story !
Contracting is all about making as much money as you can until the contract finishes -end of story !
I find this a rather sad thread. It encapsulates everything that is wrong with modern capitalism. I'm not criticising NortyBoy or any other contributors on the thread - they have been put in this position by the legacy of "management consultants" who have decimated values such as pride in service, community service, teamwork, common values etc for the mantras of competitive contracting to the lowest bidder. It is a policy that has wrecked communities and societies by destroying job security and social stability, and pushed disproportionate wealth into the hands of the mean and ruthless.
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Maybe I'm not seeing things right, but trim just made perfect sense to me
In a wider overview of the 'real' norty's problems, a politician (or several) are actually to blame here. IF the UK had ordered a sensible amount of spares and infrastructure for the helicopters Norty works on, there would be no need for silly 'on time' bonuses, and late airframes would not have the same impact on frontline strength (in the eyes of media that may have an agenda to bear, rather than real numbers).
From recent memory there has been much debate within PPRuNe of how hard the UK struggle to send a few airframes anywhere on operations. If we had more serviceable frames with appropriate spares (not total airframes), this may not be an issue.
Bear in mind all my info was learned from my armchair, and not on the shop floor 'in real life'
In a wider overview of the 'real' norty's problems, a politician (or several) are actually to blame here. IF the UK had ordered a sensible amount of spares and infrastructure for the helicopters Norty works on, there would be no need for silly 'on time' bonuses, and late airframes would not have the same impact on frontline strength (in the eyes of media that may have an agenda to bear, rather than real numbers).
From recent memory there has been much debate within PPRuNe of how hard the UK struggle to send a few airframes anywhere on operations. If we had more serviceable frames with appropriate spares (not total airframes), this may not be an issue.
Bear in mind all my info was learned from my armchair, and not on the shop floor 'in real life'
