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Fun and Games at Scottish Air Ambulance (merged)

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Old 30th Sep 2006, 15:32
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Fun and Games at Scottish Air Ambulance (merged)

Several pilots leaving GAMA Scottish Air Ambulance Operation because the company are apparently “misinterpreting” the FTL Scheme and CAA Flight Ops are reported as "less than eager to correct the situation".
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Old 30th Sep 2006, 15:37
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My pal has put his notice in. As have a couple of others, for the reasons above.
Payday was Friday. Guess what? No wages!

Company have WITHELD his salary as he is still bonded.

Sounds like a fun place to work.
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Old 30th Sep 2006, 18:07
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Sounds a real fun place to work.

Interested to know the "spin" put on FTL scheme.

Golden oldies include a standby day being called a day off if not called out.

As for withholding salary during notice period - is this legal? Hardly encourages you to stay does it !!? Perhaps m'learned friends would like to express an opinion.
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Old 30th Sep 2006, 19:37
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They say that until he 'satisfies them' of how and when he'll repay the bond, then he has to keep working his notice but not get paid.

These guys are real cowboys. They make Loganair look like Mother Theresa!
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Old 30th Sep 2006, 22:17
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It's amazing what these companies think they can get away with...?

Maybe they're right...!!!! Maybe they can !

I'm still trying to get my mind round this Just because you don't put in writing exactly how you propose to pay back your bond (which is not due until you leave) they stop your pay!

Guess I wouldn't be turning up to work.
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Old 30th Sep 2006, 23:11
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Are any of the guys involved in BALPA?

These companies should not be able to shaft professional aircrew with impunity
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Old 30th Sep 2006, 23:50
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Do any of you posters REALLY know GAMA? Or are you just making negative assumptions?
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Old 1st Oct 2006, 08:55
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Well Riverboat......tell us how it is then.
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Old 1st Oct 2006, 11:41
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do the fixed wing ambulance guys work the so-called 4 on 4 off roster that the Glasgow and Inverness rotary ambulance drivers do?

"so-called" 'cos it's 2 days, 2 nights and the first of the 4 off has you finishing at 0730. Not much of a day off really.
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Old 2nd Oct 2006, 16:21
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Angry

Well for the uninitiated,The hours are .....
72,yes 72 hours of standby per week !

This is made up of 3 day shifts,3 night shifts,one rest and 2 off !!!!
The shift pattern is constant and can lead to many long shifts.

Lots of nasty things going on at Gama at present.Stealing holidays to use to cover required rostered days off, using retrospectively rest days as days off,complete and utter misuse and interpretation and calculation of cap 371, statutory 4 weeks holiday is non existant,pilots deliberately asked to work regularly over 55 cumulative hours in 7 days.........need I go on......the list does.

And yes 'riverboat' this is fact and we do know about this company!

Also after swallowing that lot ,crews are expected to show loyalty.

Disgusted.
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Old 2nd Oct 2006, 16:39
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If only it was 4 on,4 off. Though it wouldn't make up for the rest of the sh-- that's going on in this place !

It's 6 on ,1 rest and 2 off !!!!
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Old 2nd Oct 2006, 16:46
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I did air ambulance years ago with Loganair. The endless standbys drove me mad. This was in the days before mobile phones - so you had to be near a telephone.
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Old 3rd Oct 2006, 14:26
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Its a shame that people are not happy at GAMA. I worked for them about 8 years ago flying there Kingairs and Lears, I always found that you were looked after very well. Far better than the airline I fly for now. Maybe they have changed?
As for withholding wages, don't think they are the only ones. If you leave the company I work for now and you are bonded your wages will be witheld until your bond is paid off. In fact it will be witheld until all your company property is returned, i.e. Uniform, books, ID, headsets etc. !!!!
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Old 3rd Oct 2006, 21:31
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FTLs

I do not know GAMA but bear in mind that CAP 371 is not law, it is only guidance. Your company will write their own scheme in section 7 of the Ops manual. It is section 7 of your company ops manual which becomes law when the AOC is issued. The ANO is also law as is the European working times, civil aviation act. This act was bought into law recently and very quietly by the current government. It can be found here
http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si2004/20040756.htm
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Old 4th Oct 2006, 11:36
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CHIRPS might be one avenue those affected might wish to explore.

SRG Gatwick will be contacted, and the FOI will be sent on an urgent mission.

BOGOF
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Old 4th Oct 2006, 13:49
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Apparently SRG and FOI already know !
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Old 5th Oct 2006, 10:26
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Originally Posted by bilderberger
Apparently SRG and FOI already know !

SO,what will happen now then..........I would imagine there are plenty watching closely on the outcome of this one !!
How do some companies manage to get away with this ?

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Old 6th Oct 2006, 11:51
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Guys leaving GLA have bent over backwards, tried everthing possible to point out the mistakes this company are making with regard to FTL's, working time regs, rostered days off, lost holiday entitlement, in other words driven at coach and horses ! The pilots are sick of braking the law. Gama is a one man band, judge, jury and executioner. After reading everthing else and getting the latest info from my pals at ABN, I saved myself the cost of a stamp by not posting my CV. Death benefit would possibly be discounted by a half.
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Old 7th Oct 2006, 07:01
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The importance of reporting details through CHIRPS is that specific information can be given.
Otherwise the FOI will be looking for those needles in a haystack and there is every chance that he will find nothing of note.
So quoting chapter and verse is essential if you want matters to improve.
BOGOF
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Old 7th Oct 2006, 10:45
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Originally Posted by On Finals
Guys leaving GLA have bent over backwards, .....
Were these the same guys that bent over backwards in the Western Isles last week when they "clocked off" for lunch and left an ambulance waiting at the airport with a patient onboard, thereby denying the island of their 999 response vehicle for an hour.
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