Average Trip lengths..

[Rowdy]

Re: Average Trip lengths..

also I would assume that companies that pay you even when you are ashore probably will not let you have longer off than allowed in writing - if they do most likely they will obviously not pay you :-)

In RFA it's called "continuous pay" when you exceed earned voyage leave. It normally happens when there isn't an available billet on a ship to send you to at the time your leave is up, so it's their fault and not yours. Your salary is paid as normal but you are on 24hrs notice to join a ship unless agreed otherwise with your appointer. It's quite common. How common depends on branch, grade and adquals. ABs are typically running a month over their earned leave at the moment, but that'll change with forthcoming redundancies.

Any idea of the scale of redundancies? Direct result of the SDSR I take it?

[Steve]

Re: Average Trip lengths..

Scale in raw numbers uncertain. Three ships getting chopped and some branches were overmanned already. Some branches will be heavily trimmed, others largely unaffected because of existing and future shortages. The good news is that junior deck and engineering officers are unlikely to be much affected, but will probably be offered voluntary redundancy to allow continued recruitment. Basically there are old, passed-over duffers in junior grades that won't be missed.

Recruitment is to continue and the RFA is DESPERATE for ME cadet recruits who can pass an AIB. You should look into it, the RFA version should be easy if you've got an RN background at any rate/rank.

[Lewis]

Re: Average Trip lengths..

What is ME steve?

[Rowdy]

Re: Average Trip lengths..

Scale in raw numbers uncertain. Three ships getting chopped and some branches were overmanned already. Some branches will be heavily trimmed, others largely unaffected because of existing and future shortages. The good news is that junior deck and engineering officers are unlikely to be much affected, but will probably be offered voluntary redundancy to allow continued recruitment. Basically there are old, passed-over duffers in junior grades that won't be missed.

Recruitment is to continue and the RFA is DESPERATE for ME cadet recruits who can pass an AIB. You should look into it, the RFA version should be easy if you've got an RN background at any rate/rank.

I will definately look into that, Thanks for that Steve.

[Rowdy]

Re: Average Trip lengths..

What is ME steve?

I'm not Steve...But it stands for Marine Engineer

[Lewis]

Re: Average Trip lengths..

Thought that just wanted to be sure. Cheers rowdy

[Steve]

Re: Average Trip lengths..

What is ME steve?

As Rowdy says. It's a Royal Navy thing. They have ME and WE where the latter is Weapons Engineering (which includes electronic). Strictly the RFA has E and SE (Systems Engineering i.e. electrical/electronic/ETO) branches but it's often easier to refer to RFA Engineers (in the Merchant Navy sense) as MEs.

Oh, I nearly forgot the RN have AE too, sorry Rowdy. (Air Engineering). Any more that I've overlooked?

[Rowdy]

Re: Average Trip lengths..

They abreviate everything so would take a while...

Are you Ex RN Steve?

[Steve]

Re: Average Trip lengths..

No. The RFA inhabit a strange twilight world between Merchant and Royal where we learn a lot of both.

[Rowdy]

Re: Average Trip lengths..

Ahh yes, what sort of feedback do you get from the RN lads with regards to who they work for?

I can imagine they all drip about how little they get paid ect ect.

[Steve]

Re: Average Trip lengths..

Well they are generally envious of our food, cabins and leave arrangements, but the RN typically pays more for the equivalent rank/rate, though possibly not at the most junior end of the scale.

There are a lot of ex-RN (and Army (esp. 17P&M RLC) and a few RAF) in the RFA, some branches more than others.

[Rowdy]

Re: Average Trip lengths..

Yeah, last time I was on-board I was in a 38-man mess situated underneath the take-off ramp whilst the Harriers were night flying

Do you get extra pay/benefits should you need to supply ships in hostile enviroments?

[Steve]

Re: Average Trip lengths..

Nope. Used to get double-bubble or thereabouts for warzones, same as the rest of the Merchant Navy. In the 90s it was decided that it was actually just a part of the job and instead of double-time in warzones they pay a permanent allowance in recognition, which in reality is just another part of the wages, though I can't remember how it sits with regard to pension etc.

All new joiners to the RFA are sponsored reservists, receive ?300 a year for that and get a call-out bonus if ever activated. We won't see SR status activated outside of a big shooting war. It certainly wasn't for units operating up the NAG in recent years, though might have been for Telic Pt. 1 if it had been in place at the time.

[Lewis]

Re: Average Trip lengths..

Does that mean you couldn't be in the RFA and TA or RNR in your spare time?

[Steve]

Re: Average Trip lengths..

Used to be that you could be, and those who already are I'm pretty sure can stay, but I'm not sure if current RFA can join or if new RFA can maintain their RNR etc. commitment. It's a pretty obvious conflict of interest.