Crap rates for ROV Supervisors

Member Joined: Mar 24, 2010

Hi Guys,

I have just seen an advert for a job where a 3.4 U is being offered more than an ROV Supervisor, What the **** is going on?

A 3.4U course can now be had for a few quid and no offshore experience - at least, once upon a time, it required some offshore experience - now it seems some Indians, if they recognize a vessel, can get it.

It is time that the ROV community stopped this bollocks and stood up for our pride. We are getting screwed by fat cats making a shit load of money from our hard earned experience. Just look at the onshore rates to train others - it would be better to flip burgers at Macdonalds.

The skills required to manage, control, mobe, demobe, fly and keep a modern ROV system in operation, within the contract guidelines and budget, plus the sudden change of requirements, far exceed just about any other offshore position.
We run, diagnose and fix, mechanical. hydraulic, electrical. electronic, IT, FO and sensor systems. Integrate our systems into the vessels (often misrepresented) system.Make decisions that most OIMs would not want to make in addition to ensuring the safety and wellbeing of those in our charge. When the guys (often on big bucks) have fucked up - who picks up the pieces and provide a solution?

Who modifies the vehicle and changes the parameters to reflect the ongoing task or unforeseen problems?

Come on guys lets unite and stop this bullshit.

Lets start to refuse to accept this fuc**ng crap.

Do you realise that your skills and expertise would transfer to other industries with very little adjustment - a couple of relatively cheap courses and stuff you have always done, as an extension to your job, become a valueable commodity.

Currently in Germany there are 35 places within ILS on EFA at 65 to 70 K a year.

How about a rig electrician, safety trainer or skills trainer? You interface our systems with theirs, you run HSE and carry out all the safety tasks, it is not a great step to change to another, better, respected and paid task.

Come on guys lets stuff it to these bastards (particularly agency leeches)
who are seeing us off!!

Thoughts??

Profannysaurus

Member Joined: Sep 04, 2007

Hi Guys,

looks like there is no work at present,
but i had some request from agency (crazy request), with this excuse:
We are looking for a very expericenced rov, seaeye tiger blablabla
because because..the market is flat, company are no longer willing to pay same dayrate. If you want they can offer half.
Ofcourse i refused, even if at home from a while
PLEASE GUYS dont accetp kind of offer like this. It is the best way for kill our dayrate.
bye bye cwb

Member Joined: Aug 10, 2008

Can't help but agree.. Seen some terrible rates offered recently. Worse as you say there are newly qualified reports co-ords, CSWIP and safety types on better rates.. Then we have the recently created OCM and Bridge Supt positions.. Guys who are in charge of directing ROV Ops but often have no ROV experience.. Rather than promote a decent ROV Sup they move a deck foreman or some such up into the position.. I declined so many jobs last year because of substandard pay. The abundance of ROV course trainees and blokes willing to chance their arm to Supervise after only a year or two on the job has really buggered the market..Not to mention the weakness of the Pound Working for UK agencies or for pounds is a non event..
Seems that few are interested in quality.. Only price

Member Joined: Jun 05, 2004

Quote:

Guys who are in charge of directing ROV Ops but often have no ROV experience..

You can blame that crap on Subsea !
When the work slowed they got Dive Superintendos to fill in the slots on ROV work , Oh and named them Bridge supervisors Evil or Very Mad

[banned word] useless glorified secretaries Evil or Very Mad

It appears you just have to have ..................... The gift of the gab Rolling Eyes

Member Joined: Oct 08, 2005 Location: Inversnecky

Lost

Think Technip (or stena, or CSO, or whatever else they've called themselves over the years) were at that particluar jape before subsea picked up on it.

Truth of the matter is, that whatever branch the the senior management came from, is where they'll recruit vessel management. unfortuneatly, since none of the major ROV companies started out as an ROV company, there's very few senior management with ROV backgrounds. Most of them still veiw us as a threat, or unskilled yoiks because we don't have a degree in art.

And thats the very reason why they think they can replace us with cheap
'techs' from Poland or the Philippines.

Member Joined: Mar 24, 2010

You are right Numpty and that is why we should stick together an [banned word] them off. They need our expertise but cannot get it t such crap rates.

If we unite now, these [banned word] chancers will be exposed, lose a couple of vehicles, [banned word] up a tree or two and it will all change. Until it hits them in the pocket nothing will get done. Then it will be a different story - its only a matter of time.

Member Joined: Feb 19, 2010

Profannysaurus great post,and its so true what you say with the skills some of us ROV,ers have we could after doing a few courses transfer into something else with our skills.Thats exactly what Im doing now..I love the ROV industry and have been doing it for a fair amount of time,but Ive had enough of it now.Sick of the waiting round,never knowing when the next jobs coming.The mining industry and offshore oil/gas industry is booming again over here in Oz,but not the ROV industry..There is work but it is definately NOT booming....