When I finished at Radio College, we had all the Radio Companies come round touting their services, a few of us were taken aside and told hang on for a while.
I got a job direct employ with New Zealand Shipping co, better pay and supposedly conditions.
Stayed with NZSco, then P&O GCD came along, thump thump went the angry parent company and took over, condx changed, luckily I got my CONTRACT stated study leave and upgraded to a General, it all came to a head, and I told the guy at PnO to put the crappy old ship they wanted to send me away on, somewhere very rude.
Went freelance with the REOU for one trip, then joined UME freelance on British flag ships, pay up by 300% no Tax, hugely better conditions, it was the best thing I ever did.
Did trips with Houlders, Swedish owned Bulk carrier (plus bonus if you worked in port), a small UK chemical tanker (got 10% extra for it being chemicals, and did the Electricians job on overtime), various run jobs at 35 pounds a day. Spent 3 yrs working for them and earned enough to buy a house, so came ashore got married and went to GKA.
The Swedish BC was fantastic, as I was busy in port in the states, we self discharged cement and got paid a bonus to drive the rig, they had a technician come down on arrival and I just gave him a list of jobs/things to check and it was all done.
No more of that painful time with an Oceanspan, normally all synth, no crystals so you could go anywhere in the band, anything upto 2kw normally.
They wondered why people left and went freelance.
Did have to go upto the East Ham office for soime spares while freelance, they left me sat there like a turkey, eventually I got the hump and told them to get their act together, the RS saw me and tried to poach me to Marconi, told him if he could beat what I was on, then I might think about, he nearly choked.
Anyway there we are, now live in NZ and am active on the Amateur bands, work the UK regularly at night on 1.8CW. ...-.-
I got a job direct employ with New Zealand Shipping co, better pay and supposedly conditions.
Stayed with NZSco, then P&O GCD came along, thump thump went the angry parent company and took over, condx changed, luckily I got my CONTRACT stated study leave and upgraded to a General, it all came to a head, and I told the guy at PnO to put the crappy old ship they wanted to send me away on, somewhere very rude.
Went freelance with the REOU for one trip, then joined UME freelance on British flag ships, pay up by 300% no Tax, hugely better conditions, it was the best thing I ever did.
Did trips with Houlders, Swedish owned Bulk carrier (plus bonus if you worked in port), a small UK chemical tanker (got 10% extra for it being chemicals, and did the Electricians job on overtime), various run jobs at 35 pounds a day. Spent 3 yrs working for them and earned enough to buy a house, so came ashore got married and went to GKA.
The Swedish BC was fantastic, as I was busy in port in the states, we self discharged cement and got paid a bonus to drive the rig, they had a technician come down on arrival and I just gave him a list of jobs/things to check and it was all done.
No more of that painful time with an Oceanspan, normally all synth, no crystals so you could go anywhere in the band, anything upto 2kw normally.
They wondered why people left and went freelance.
Did have to go upto the East Ham office for soime spares while freelance, they left me sat there like a turkey, eventually I got the hump and told them to get their act together, the RS saw me and tried to poach me to Marconi, told him if he could beat what I was on, then I might think about, he nearly choked.
Anyway there we are, now live in NZ and am active on the Amateur bands, work the UK regularly at night on 1.8CW. ...-.-
