Not necessarily.

I'm not suggesting that I know anything about the situation at Sterling, but notice given depends on the employment contract signed.

If an employee hands in their notice under a contract requiring a month's notice but says he or she want to leave at the end of the week, there isn't really a lot an employer can do about it. Obviously, that employee would only get paid up to the point of actually leaving but it would be futile for an employer to sue for breach of contract.

Not suggesting for one minute that that's what Sterling's CAM did but there are scenarios where less than 30 days notice could be given. Most likely, Longmint dragging their recruitment heels again.

Let's just hope that someone who knows how to run an aviation business comes along in time ....

Cheers

Whirls

Whatever the reason for staff departures it looks like the management have dropped themselves in a very expensive PR disaster hole.

The loss of the police contract followed by this does not bode well.

Two expensive machines grounded plus extra costs involving the support operation. Add to that pilots and staff who still have to be paid plus lease costs and insurance on the helicopters etc mean this debacle will not come cheap.

Someone must have been mighty upset to trigger this:ok:

"IF" I had a full time employed CAM resign and leave the company immediately but had a 30 day notice contract (I would stipulate 90 days for this contracted post) they would be possibly receiving a letter from my legal representative.

That is if the employer has not already breached the staff employment contract in any other way and that they were not "sub contracted staff".

Salary paid or NOT PAID!
 

Some of you may remember back to September last year when staff were not being paid. Well surprise surprise but THIS IS THE SAME COMPANY.

What's gone wrong - strippers moved in.
 

Sterling used to be a reliable company until it was taken over by the strippers. Not the sexy kind either but still the type that like to take all your money ie asset strippers.

From reading all the threads I feel that it is now a complete shambles with no money and no credit and it is a bit like the rats leaving a sinking ship but unfortunaltely the "king" or "queen" rats are still clinging to the flotsam.

Pay?
 

Peasacake
If my pay cheque didn't make my bank account as expected, then I'd want to know why (and PDQ at at that). That's one breach of contract (assuming I had served my probationary period)

If the Company apears to have cash-flow problems, but chooses not to keep me in the picture, so that I may take a considered view on the situation, then the next time I am not paid on time I'll walk. There is no 3rd strike.

So a 90 day notice period is purely academic; have you ever tried to buy groceries form Sainsbury's with the line "It's OK, I'll be paid next week, so no worries"?

And as the old adage has it, if you think you don't have enough paperwork to keep you going, try missing a mortgage payment................

It's real world we all have to live in _ VFR

wickednorthernwitch, Rats, similar to vultures, can be very useful.:}

Perhaps the beginning of the rush?


PEASACAKE, I must say that I too expected a key person like this to be on more than 30 days notice.

Whirls, I never considered it before , but now you explain it, it is quite obvious: if they havn't paid you it would be futile to sue you!:D

VFR, well said!:ok:

One BIG thought from one minor bloke;

I often stop at Sterling for fuel and parking and had heard of problems with salary payments. To all the Sterling staff who have treated me with such kindness and friendship over the years, thank you all and I hope that all these problems will soon be behind you. After all where else am I going to get into a snowball fight whilst trying to prep the aircraft? who else would go into work to check my blade tie downs in a high wind when I'm not answering my phone? Your humour and grace under what must have been very uncomfortable pressure recently just show what a loyal and professional team Sterling/Longmint have and how little they deserve it.

See you all soon

SND

The Law is an ASS
 

I am sure many of you will have come to the same conclusion over the years and if any doubt remains in your mind then maybe this will help to make your mind up (it's lighter than ladders!)

If a company does not pay you it seemingly does not give you the right to walk out! The old saying "2 wrongs don't make a right" springs to mind. You may have bills to pay etc but the law does not help you. Do you walk out and risk the company sueing you - depends on how important you are to the said company.

The law protects those that help themselves to the good name and profits from Sterling.

What sort of person sells/mortgages all Sterling assets and then stops paying salaries? They say there is no money - so where did it all go?

Some of it could possibly go on plastic surgery?

Speculate all you like but basically the air ambulance is going elswhere. What about the police and the pipeline inspections?

Any news?

Which is why I reckon 'parasite' is probably more accurate.

Such a shame for the staff, agree with SND that the 'guys and gals on the ground' have always been top notch

Sliding Doors, "Parasites" sums it up perfectly.:mad:

Sir Niall Dementia, you, too sum up the personel at Sterling perfectly, they are all stars.:D

Shame about the "management"

cladosporangium
 

Is it me, or is it lately a trend of management within the UK aerospace industry, all take, and no management ? !
Fingers crossed for the personel there.

yes. management get huge bonuses for saving money. Where do the main costs come from (after aircraft) in the eyes of management? Pilot wages?

Management these days are a joke. Companies have no sense of loyalty to staff. Why should staff reciprocate? Just take a look at the big North sea companies. Only Company no-one seems to complain about is Bond. They run a tight ship. Staff know what to expect. No surprises or messing about. This is our roster. This is your pay. Do the job. Get paid. Look smart. Funny that Bond don't keep bringing in 'management specialists' to do the job. The bosses there know what the score is, what works, and what keeps the staff happy and quiet.

Longmint?
 

Longmint - I've heard the name bantered about a bit on pprune but who are Longmint and what do they own?
I met GH about 20 years ago and Sterling seemed a good set up from talking to other ex mil pilots I know. Do Longmint own anything else aviation wise, and are Sterling still flying the pipe lines?
:confused:

wickednorthernwitch
I was out and about this week and saw an old friend flying the Transco pipelines in a Helicentre 206, so the gas people must have had a contingency plan in place as well because this was on Tuesday morning

Longmint Aviation Ltd is owned by Longmint Group Ltd which is owned by Neil Bellis, Juliet Bellis and Lucy Cummings.

Longmint Aviation Ltd owns Sterling, Fast Helicopters, Alan Mann, Skydrift, Falcon Jet Centre and Total Air Management Services.

Neil Bellis is a shareholder and former director of Erinacaeous Group plc, a company currently in administration.

Those are facts - the rest you can google.

Cheers

Whirls

Agreed! :ok:

the sad truth of the matter
 

"IF" I had a full time employed CAM resign and leave the company immediately but had a 30 day notice contract (I would stipulate 90 days for this contracted post) they would be possibly receiving a letter from my legal representative.

Interestingly I heard that the CAM resigned within the terms of the contracted notice period and worked right up until the end of that time. Now thats what i would call dedication when you are not being paid for it!!!:ok:
The Longmint management were promted by the local surveyor to find a replacement in plenty of time and chose to ignore that advice !:=

Perhaps it is lonmint and only longmint that should take the rap for this

With Longmint also owning Manns at Fairoaks, is it any surprise that they lost their fixed-wing Part 145 maintenance approval last week (I think they've still got helis - just). Many staff not being paid on time, bailiffs coming in the night to repossess buildings. How long can they survive?

Longmint have a significant property portfolio which might be in need of refinancing.

Getting finance on property is not easy currently.

I believe someone else hinted this earlier in the thread