Falkland islands?

[ColJack]

http://www.westmidlandsjobsonline.com/vacancydetail.asp?ID=9685

sounds like a blast... 13 months in the falklands doing electrical maintainance on a military base.. 27 grand tax free, free house, free meals, free laundry, free flights...

think they'll let me carry a gun?
wonder if they want fit blokes or will your average bum-scratching, beer bellied sparky do?

what system do they use over there? is it UK spec on a UK military base?

 

[baldelectrician]

Went there a few years ago

The sheep were beginning to look attractive after the month I lasted there

They told me all the good stuff to get me there

• Internet access (only for military, not civvy peeps)
  Decent accomodation - shared loos $hit hool

Telephone calls back to UK are £1.40 per min (mobile don't work- no network coverage)
It sounds good, but it is really cold and windy, miserable and the end of the planet

Wouldn't do it for £30000 a year tax free

 

[ColJack]

good to know, I was considering applying for a minute there....

pfftt.. no internet, no satelite TV = NO WAY...

 

[Taylortwocities]

Yes, but you do have the wild life entertainment

 

[ericmark]

I went there in 1984 to 1989 first 6 months was not too good then I got to know locals. I had some really good times. Two nighters, Grand Slams, etc. But Mount Pleasant is about 6 miles from Island Harbour house nearest farm and 10 miles from Fitsroy and around 20 miles to Riverside or Bluff Cove.
As a result you need transport and not sure if you would get access to it.

Weather is similar to living on the mores in UK, seasons reversed of course so this is right time to go as we approach spring.

On bases all to UK standard but on Camp (From Campo which means countryside) it is a little basic with generators mainly Lister 1.5 to 12Kva.

Mount Pleasant is really a self contained Town but much depends on who you get in with and if you can get into Sargent's mess etc. The Police Station is on a road called Letsbe Av.

Accommodation did improve a lot. Single rooms by time I left with ablution blocks on each corner alternate Loo's and showers. Beds all made for you. And rooms cleaned for you. All food found. But midday meal was often dogge bag.

Most the sparks I found had lost their licence and were out there until they got it back. The pay was not very good so really last resort.

UK interview was very miss-leading they would quote pay for trip (14 calendar months) as if it was pay for 12 months. Normal electricians hardly ever got overtime and not sure you would want it on standard 10 hour day with one day off per week so

So Wage = £6.71 per hour before bonus and £8.05 per hour after bonus so overtime paid at £6.71 per hour. Take the £1743.94 + 20% = £2092.728 per month x 12 = £22671.22 per year but your there for 13 months so get pay for 13 months so £27205.46 per trip not per year and you need to spend a month at home before returning unpaid so not even £8.05 per hour in real terms. You are tax free but not national insurance free so there are stoppages from that. Second year you can get away without paying NI but to do that you must not even work 1 hour in UK when on leave.

So the Falklands was great but the contract was rubbish. To start with I was on building of Air Port and we got perks which meant it was better than the maintenance contract offered now. When I transferred to maintenance I was working on vehicles and we still got some overtime so a little better off than standard electrician but trying to find job in UK was near impossible afterwards as if I applied as I arrived home the interview stage often was not reached until time to return and because working abroad there was no dole so had to play safe and return.

In the end Laing who I worked for out there started building Sizewell Power Station and my old boss on Falklands offered me a job in Sizewell. My pay doubled even after I included paying tax and running a car and paying caravan site fees.

So I would say the job offered is only any good for single man who has lost his licence so can't find work in UK.

Things may have changed but I don't think so as maths soon shows they are still doing same sneaky tricks when telling you the wages.

 

[ericmark]

Yes, but you do have the wild life entertainment

Unless you are very lucky. I was. You will not see any wild life other than Upland Geese as all jollies are for military people only. It took me 2 years before I got a trip to Goose Green. Same before I saw Stanley and was over 3 years before I visited the West.

Most of my trips were due to being friends with the late Tim Dobbins a local farmer who had what he called a small holding. (10,000 acres) Through him I met more locals one (Robert) even lent me a motor bike and I was able to visit places like Estancha. But I was one of the very few who was able to travel. Because I became a radio amateur out there VP8BKM I was able to help the military guys get local R&R and they repaid me by arranging helicopter and boat trips but I was unusual and most guys never left Mount Pleasant.

 

[jockspark]

hi the base is in mount pleasant. new modern complex
with pubs,tennis courts. golf course ( the worst course in the world ) well this is what i was told by the company.
they have been looking for 2 x electricians for over a year now

 

[baldelectrician]

hi the base is in mount pleasant. new modern complex
with pubs,tennis courts. golf course ( the worst course in the world ) well this is what i was told by the company.
they have been looking for 2 x electricians for over a year now

Maybe if they doubled the pay, gave en-suite rooms, internet and VOIP calls back home for free then it would be worth it.

It's not as bad as some place (like war zones) but it is still really craap

 

[holmslaw]

..

 

[ColJack]

sounded alright to me..
no kids or anything.. and only visit mom and dad once a week because I sort of have to..
been looking for work for 6 months.. sitting on my arse and making phone calls etc most of the time..
I hate cleaning and don't go out drinking.. happy sat in front of the telly and playing games..
if they had satellite and internet I'd be happy sat in the hut all day..
kind of a loner myself and not really keen on nature..

what do you mean "lost their license"? are we supposed to have licenses to do electrics?

as for only £8 ish an hour.. that's not bad if you don't pay for food, lodgings or anything else..

if they threw in a "company car" for you to use , or at least the option of signing a vehicle out of the pool etc then it might be ok..

 

[ColJack]

The job was maintaining the perimeter flood lighting around the green zone, Oh and you got free PPE.

PPE?? flak vest and helmet?

 

[holmslaw]

..

 

[ban-all-sheds]

The sheep were beginning to look attractive after the month I lasted there

Be fair - you were a bit that way inclined before you went....

 

[ericmark]

what do you mean "lost their license"? are we supposed to have licenses to do electrics?

In many cases Electricians are required to drive as part of their work so yes we often do need licences.

I see nothing wrong with Falklands Job. However I do see a problem with the way it is advertised.

1) We all expect a 40 hour week. Nothing wrong with working more but the hours should be declared. To have standard hours 10 hours per day 6 days per week is not what people expect.
2) To advertise the pay for a 14 month contract as if it pay for 12 months is totally wrong.
3) To advertise as Tax free with out saying how tax free status for booze has now been removed and as a result you can't use military outlets. And you still have to pay national insurance which is of course a tax can miss lead people.

Most other Expat Jobs I have done you get more than you expect but with this one you get less. And anyone who looks at the pay and works out if they can afford to do the work then finds the company has lied and the pay in fact does not match the advertised rate could find themselves in serious problems paying UK expenses.

Remember if you don't complete you get just £6.71 per hour. Yes tax free but even allowing for that by time you consider personal allowance it is still under £8 per hour. And I found my family at home needed more money when I was away. The little jobs we all do at home now need someone to be employed to do.

Take the silly little job of moving the aerial from horizontal to vertical and moving 15 degs which I will need to do once analogue ends. I will nip onto kitchen roof and do job in less than 1 hour and think nothing of it.

But once abroad your wife will need to get someone to do it for her. Because of health and safety the tradesman is not allowed to walk on roof. So scaffold is required. Result is costs arm and leg to get simple task completed. You end up with £100 bill for 1 hours work and that's the hidden cost of working away. If like when I worked in Hong Kong you are earning loads of money you laugh it off and pay up. But that's not case with Falklands.

Great place don't get me wrong but go there with eyes open!

 

[ColJack]

like I said, no one at home to send money back to so whatever I didn't spend would just sit in the bank..
flat to pay mortgage on.. but I could rent it out while I'm away to pay for that...
don't drink except for xmas and on holidays because it's hot ( so no problem there.. )...

if they had decent TV and internet access then I'd be very tempted to have a go at it..