pay scale

[worker]

:wtf
Twenty years ago workers were making this money overseas.

We need to sit back and when the jobs start not take the first offer and reject the pay scale. This needs to be an orginized effort in order to bring the base pay up for the Whole. If this is not done what will happen is it will slowly decrease like what has happened in the usa. Tx,Fl, Ok, Ms,Ga ect.....
Every one needs to wake up. I know Im not on vacation working overseas like some of the Contractors want to sell everyone on. I know the price of homes keep going up.... Health insurance up 30%....But the wages have been around the same for the past Four years.

If everyone is in this for them self it will continue on the same course.

[mexfishguide]

Several of us on site, have posted on this subject many times.

Try getting 1000 tradesfolks to agree on any issue.:banghead

Take Care
Mexfishguide:cheers

[1John]

I believe that it be great to get a good discussion going on Base wages, I would like to add we also include living conditions or Per-Diem? It is really past due that the workers "us" get a grip on these things and stop working for those "suede shoes" named LESS. I think with input from the members we could compare notes and heck realize we have options.:wtf
Hope you guys are in:cheers

[Gabriele]

A good topic for sure. Let's play devil's advocate here, suppose a company makes you an offer and you counter back and the companys says this is what we can/will/whatever will pay. How much more can be done by uncleared americans, or even locals. What agreements will be made between the companies and OBO on what can be allowed done by non-cleared americans. At one time unions were very strong in the usa, today many jobs are performed by workers making as much or more then their union counter parts in order to keep out the union. What happens when the companies say they can't pay what you want and you don't take the offer, some one hungery enough will. Is it resoanble to expect $30 plus an hour, full per diem and lodging paid for. What if the companys gives you the full per diem and then says it's all on you to find housing, medical, transportaion, after all that is paid out, what do you have left. :2cents

[Low Range]

30.00 plus per hour and -FULL-per diem worked well for me in Albania,i hear its higher these days.
This should be the minimum base package in my mind,isnt this what the bids are based on after all ? Correct me if i am wrong.

[HeadRat]

No matter the location, or task at hand, I strongly believe that NO ONE should be leaving the states for LESS THAN $30/hour. You can not honestly, at the same time, say AND full per diem. That sticking point is up to the individual worker, but there is NO state in the union that pays less than $30/hour and that is to workers, NOT getting shot at, NOT living in hell holes, NOT missing time with their families, and WITHOUT clearnaces.
You're clearance is worth money, USE IT.

[mexfishguide]

No way should a qualified craftsman leave the US, for less then US$30.00.
I think we all understand that on overseas work over 40 hrs is paid as st. time, not 2 or 1 1/2 times. I do not like that but we will have to live with it for now.

Per deim! need to be careful on this issue! Example if gv. rec. pd is 300.00 per day, the company says we pay full per deim, thats great, now go to moscow, or berlin, or albania, or ?. Find your own lodging and where to ete.
If you are new to the game it can give you ulcers to go into a new place and find your way around.

I consider this a decent deal, if pd is 300 a day, the company finds lodging, that is agreeable to you for 150 a day, so they then give you the remaining150 a day for mei. At least for me I agree to this ever time.

Take Care
Mexfishguide:cheers

[Low Range]

So what is the wise way to go about finding what youre per diem should be at ? I realize that every place is different with expenses etc.
How would an in-experianced person as myself know the fair deal?
Arent most all jobs bid at full per diem for the country they are in ? If not then why are there per-diem rates posted ?

[Taz]

There are really two types of jobs; FFP or Firm Rixed Price and Cost Plus. FFP jobs are what most of us are working on. All the NEC jobs going on now are FFP. That means the company that gets the award got based on the fact that they were most probably the lowest bidder. They are now to build this New Embassy with all the Fru Fru they missed in the bid because the estimator did not read the contract fully and did not talk to the operations side of the house. There is no set per diem rate that the company is locked into with the government. It is simply a bag of money to build a big ars complicated "city" which is what some of these jobs are.

So...the bid was kept competitive through many aspects. One of these would be that most companies know they can get workers with out paying full per diem. That is it...bottom line. I sure don't see a problem with it if the company is picking up your housing. That is what a big part of that per diem is for.

Now, if the company is not picking up the housing and those of you who are lucky enough to get full per diem are probably charing a house or flat with someone else getting that same per diem. For each their own. I would rather the company pick up my housing....live alone or with a family and get half per diem. This all goes back to your individual contract. If you don't like, don't sign it. Remember, all these jobs will get done with or without you are me. If we decide it is not good enough for us, someone else will decide it is good enough for them.

The total package takes into account many more issues than per diem and lodging. If you have a family then insurance and benifits come into play.

[Gabriele]

So what is the wise way to go about finding what youre per diem should be at ? I realize that every place is different with expenses etc.
How would an in-experianced person as myself know the fair deal?
Arent most all jobs bid at full per diem for the country they are in ? If not then why are there per-diem rates posted ?


Try this site: http://www.state.gov/documents/organization/78449.xls

[Low Range]

I think i spelt it rite this time , just felt i had to clarify the -in-experience - i talked of was of me not knowing of the process to get a fair deal on the wage /per diem issue.
As far as what i do i can hold my own. Flame on
Back to the thread, the per -diem issue still seems to get low balled on a lot of different threads i have read on this site, will it ever improve or will continue going downhill ? I for one aint buying it.
So what will the bottom line become on this, the acceptable standard ? There seems to be a " i call bullshit line in the sand on the wages" why is this any different ? I just aint buying it .
Thanks Gabriele,i will check it out. :blahslap

[1John]

Hi all.
You know I think it all goes back to what my grandma would tell me growing up "You can catch more fly's with honey than salt" I think the bottom line should be as previously stated 30 an hour, Mi&E, and Lodding as found on the state departments web site would be a good starting point as resembling "Honey" in the analogy above.
In the end why not reward your good employee's and cull the warm bodies and I am sure that experienced Expats will tell you that a good deal of oversease work is in major metropolitan areas and in the high rent district. As far as locating housing I kinda always thought that was the responsibility of the first worker or super on site to keep an eye out for the other Americans.:cheers

[Low Range]

As far as locating the housing goes ,that was my idea as well , kind of a common courtesy gesture so to say ? And why the hell not ? Its not like you get thrown to the dogs.
This issue on the per diem is getting to the point of being self defeating guys. What the hell is the point in going to work--OVERSEAS-- for the same money you make at home ? I just dont get all the defending of the low rate per deim.
For Sale -1999 - Ford half ton pickup- excellent condition- 33,000 miles-well maintained-serviced by dealer every 3000 miles. Will take 8,500 dollars or 7,300 dollars or best offer. Think about it :wtf