Tenerife Forum - General Chat

Euro crisis by Al Murray

Javi — Thu, 23 May 2013 21:38:36 GMT

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GBVTDLtTLtE

2:15 He explains the Spanish situation :agree:

Photography Silhouettes

imablue — Tue, 21 May 2013 10:03:10 GMT

Got this as email.......thought i,d share it..

BBC 1 Tonight 9pm How they buried the truth [Hillsborough]

AL JAY — Mon, 20 May 2013 18:33:42 GMT

A Panorama special! Should be interesting!

Working conditions at Ryanair

Tickey — Fri, 17 May 2013 15:03:35 GMT

A former member of Ryanair's cabin crew has claimed her working conditions at the budget carrier were 'a total nightmare'.
Sophie Growcoot, 20, from Liverpool, worked for the airline after she was employed by Crewlink, a contractor for Ryanair.
Despite her initial excitement at the prospect of working for the major airline, she said she became so frustrated with the conditions she took it up with her local MP Luciana Berger.

A former member of Ryanair's cabin crew has described working conditions at the budget airline as 'a total nightmare' (file picture)
During a debate in the House of Commons this week, Ms Berger raised the issue and accused Ryanair of exploiting its staff.
Ms Berger said Ms Growcoot was only paid for 'in the air' hours, not for pre-flight briefings, sales meetings, turn around times and time spent on the ground during delays.
She said she was told she had to take three months of compulsory unpaid leave each year and was forbidden from taking another job during that time, and had to pay �1,800 for compulsory training.

More...
A real high-flyer! Teenager set to become one of youngest airline pilots ever as he is offered Ryanair job aged just 19
Ryanair passengers diverted to airport 200 miles away after pilot tells them it's too dark to land on Greek holiday island
Blog: Cabin crew reveals what makes the perfect passenger
The claims appear to be documented in a Crewlink contract seen by MailOnline. However, Ryanair and Crewlink have dismissed the claims as 'untrue'.
Crewlink Ireland general manager Andrew Swan said Ms Growcoot 'had read, understood and agreed to and signed this Crewlink Limited contract prior to commencing work'.
Ms Growcoot, who has now left the company, has said she left her job as a waitress to sign a contract with Crewlink - the agency that provides cabin crew staff for Ryanair.

Sophie Growcoot worked for the airline after she was employed by Crewlink, a contractor for Ryanair
She claims she was forced to borrow �450 from her parents to fund the deposit on the �1,800 for compulsory training for her new job.
She said: 'I was really excited about joining Ryanair’s cabin crew at first, but it was a total nightmare. I couldn’t believe it when I learnt I wouldn’t be paid for all the time I was working.
'We’d only be paid when the wheels were moving, so I didn’t get a penny for the time spent in briefings before take-off, the turnaround time between flights, or the hours on the ground when flights were delayed or cancelled.'
During a debate in the House of Commons on Wednesday, Ms Berger said Sophie thought she had landed her dream job with the airline.
She said: 'It was not until she started that she learned she would not be paid for all the hours she put in, only the time when a plane she was working on was in the air.

MP Luciana Berger (left) accused Michael O'Leary's (right) airline of using the tactics to help achieve record profits of nearly half a billion pounds
'That meant not a penny for every pre-flight briefing she attended, nothing for sales meetings, nothing for turnaround time when a plane was on the ground between flights, and nothing for the hours waiting on the tarmac during delays and flight cancellations.
'She was only paid for four days each week, and on the fifth day she had to be available on unpaid standby, ready to come in at a moment’s notice but not receiving any payment if not called in.
CONDITIONS SOPHIE CLAIMS SHE WORKED UNDER
'Flight Pay' - Ryanair cabin crew are only paid for the time when the plane is in the air. They are not paid for any other duties including duties on plane during turnaround time; compulsory briefing which takes place at least 45 minutes before the flight; compulsory sales meetings
Forced to take three months unpaid leave every year, but are forbidden from taking another job during this time
Receive four days paid work per week – has to be on unpaid standby one or two days per week
Sophie had to pay �1,800 for compulsory training
Has to pay €200 (�168) admin fee in order to resign if she leaves the company within nine months of joining
'Sophie was told that she had to take three months of compulsory unpaid leave each year, and was forbidden from taking another job during that time.
'If she wanted to leave within nine months of joining the company, she had to pay Ryanair a 200 euros administration fee.
'To add insult to injury, she had to pay a staggering �1,800 to her employer for compulsory training.
'Last year, Ryanair recorded profits of just under half a billion pounds. How can its chief executive, Michael O’Leary, think it is fair or acceptable for his company to be profiting on the back of poorly treated staff like Sophie? As her situation grew worse, Sophie knew that there were no other jobs out there for her.'
Crewlink general manager Mr Swan said: 'In common with all contractors, Ms Growcoot received flight pay by reference to her scheduled block hours flown, at a rate that is significantly higher than the basic pay received by the airline's full time employees who are paid a lower rate per scheduled block hour, but are paid for all duty time.
'In addition her pay was supplemented by significant sales bonuses arising from sales made by Crewlink Ireland Limited cabin crew on-board our client aircraft.'
He said Ms Growcoot's claim she was paid four days a week was untrue. He said: 'She was paid for all block hours flown, in addition to sales bonuses and was accordingly paid for all contract work regardless of whether she flew three, four or five days per week.'
He added: 'Ms Berger's claim that "Ms Growcoot had to pay Ryanair a 200 euros administration fee" is simply untrue. No payments were made to Ryanair.
'Ms Berger's claim that Ms Growcoot "had to pay a staggering �1,800 to her employer for compulsory training" is also untrue. No �1,800 payment was made by Ms Growcoot to Crewlink Ireland Limited for training.'
He went on to say: 'It is unfortunate and regrettable that a Member of Parliament such as Ms Berger made no effort or attempt to contact Crewlink Ireland Limited to verify the accuracy of Ms Growcoot's false claim prior to making this inaccurate statement in the Houses of Parliament.'
'How can its chief executive, Michael O’Leary, think it is fair or acceptable for his company to be profiting on the back of poorly treated staff like Sophie?'
- MP Luciana Berger
Last month the Daily Mail reported how low-fare airlines now carry the majority of passengers flying from the UK.
Of the 93 million passengers who started their journey at a UK airport last year, 52 per cent were flying with budget carriers, according to statistics from travel industry technology company Amadeus.
That compared to 48 per cent using no-frills airlines in the previous year.
And earlier this month the Daily Mail reported how millions of British Ryanair customers could be entitled to refunds after passenger Simon Couzens won compensation of more than �400.
The company had been accused of charging Britons more than passengers booking flights in other countries.
The company handed over the money rather than face a race discrimination claim by London-based classical musician Mr Couzens.
A snapshot survey at the time revealed the price difference applied to several other Ryanair routes.
A spokesman for the airline at the time said: ‘Passengers pay for flights in the currency their flight departs from.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...-uniforms.html

Hi-de-Hi! actor Paul Shane dies

TOTO 99 — Thu, 16 May 2013 19:33:06 GMT

Sad to see this reported on the Beeb tonight.

Tenerife regular and all round nice guy....RIP..:respect:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-22563351

Please sponsor my friend's grandson for Keep the Beat

casabonny — Thu, 16 May 2013 14:26:28 GMT

I wonder if any of you have deep pockets? I know times are tough and
money is tight but my best friends grandson Callum
Cookson is doing a 100km (62 miles) for KEEPTHEBEAT because
1 in 133 children are born with a heart condition. He is doing this on
Saturday 25/05/2013 in the UK.
If any of you can sponsor him please go to his just giving page here

http://www.justgiving.com/callum-cookson.
Thanks folks

What is the strangest thing you have had cooked for you?

tracy hampshire — Mon, 13 May 2013 17:22:33 GMT

i was talking to someone at the market yesterday, & when i introduced my husband, who is from the sahara, they oddly said ohhh i bet he cooks you some wonderful food, which set me off giggling, thinking of one meal he cooked for me, after a long & tiring trip back from the uk he met me off the bus in puerto de la cruz, after eating nothing on the plane i was dreaming of a seafood pizza at our favorite italian, but oh no he said i ve cooked for you, it s a suprise !!!!!, when we got home he served with a flourish, i might add, a bowl full of lentil soup with lapas floating in it, not wanting to upset him i put a brave face on & gave it a try, an unusual not too unplesent taste but never again, so what is the strangest thing you have had cooked for you ????
ps, he is noramally a good if not adveturous cook lol x

Have any Forum members been to Crete?

Angusjim — Sun, 12 May 2013 13:24:47 GMT

Sitting working away in the office today when I suddenly decided a holiday was needed, somewhere for a change I thought so we have booked a week end of August to Sissi area in Crete any forum members been there and can give me any info about the area good or bad ( probably should have asked before booking but write ups on Tripadvisor etc look good) :)

Help the Ferrets

LUCKY — Fri, 10 May 2013 09:00:58 GMT

:feret: I have found a link for all that are interested in Ferrets, please help to find a good home for these wonderful animals. They deserve care and affection as they are wonderful amusing and fun to keep, always a talking point when out with company
https://sites.google.com/site/furryf...-needing-homes
:feret::feret:

Is England finished?

celine — Thu, 09 May 2013 13:15:42 GMT

I thought that I would start a new post to see different views on the subject of
Is this country as we know it finished?
I was walking down cricklewood broadway in London there were traffic wardens everywhere (unnessary ) there are a lot of roads where you could park safely without causing a hazard or obstruction..the traffic was nose to nose..due to the empty bus lanes!!
no-one queuing at the bus stop, (just a free for all)
macdonalds wrappers and litter everywhere,
people spitting in the street is the norm now ..discusting
prospective workers on all corners in the area waiting for a pick up for a days work cash in hand, looking desperate and very threatening in their loud talking and manner
almost every shop selling fruit on the pavement. I don't know why but I felt quite sad it wasn,t a friendly or comfortable area
(drunks down the various alleys with their brews
I couldn,nt wait to get back to my car locked myself in and drove home..took everything out of the car so it doesn,t get broken into again (3 times last year)and went in my house with my alsation feeling a bit safer..later on the bins were raided again looking for jewels or treasures I presume that I had put in my bin bags ..all torn apart
(I cant go to the park without scanning it first for other dogs incase my dog says hullo to other dogs in the wrong manner and it gets sued.).lol
**honestly my dog went near someone on hampstead heath and her husband asked if I had a business card ..as she thought she might have caught something..i told him not to be so silly..lol
just had a security grill installed today we ordered it in January they made it the wrong way up and down instead of sideways lol so they ordered another one then they didn,nt turn up several times different random excuses
said the guy died ect ect no-one wants to be honest anymore..
my youngest girl goes to a convent " girls " school( this year they are letting boys in.).its crazy this country is going mad
ive got a 23 year old daughter with 4 a levels in "It.".never worked in "It" in her life no jobs available!! she spent a few years in homebasr now she is working in a bar in spain
I wondered if anyone else thinks that the country is going crazy with traffic wardens giving you tickets /speed cameras/spy cameras ect?

I Am off to bed now

LUCKY — Wed, 08 May 2013 00:39:09 GMT

:flatcap::feret::feret:
I am off to bed now i have had a busy day!
:feret::feret:

Once upon a...

9PLUS — Tue, 07 May 2013 17:43:44 GMT

19:37 ...........

I thought I would find...

9PLUS — Tue, 07 May 2013 12:12:55 GMT

you here

x

Comedian Jimmy Tarbuck arrested

Fivepence — Mon, 06 May 2013 21:55:06 GMT

When will it end..........who's next.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...boy-1970s.html

Any question answered!

carpenter — Sun, 05 May 2013 19:01:51 GMT

My brother and I are entering the national pub quiz competition and we can proudly boast that between us we know the answer to every single question that can be asked.
So go ahead and ask me a question!