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PIRATE CREW ESSENTIAL INFORMATION

What is Pirate Crew?

We have worked in the entertainment industry in its many forms for years but our spiritual home is Theatre. This is where we learned our trade and developed the mentality for working harder than everyone else. With this in mind Pirate Crew was created. The company started trading in October 2009 with a view to take our work ethos to the nation and ensure that the talented and highly motivated technicians in the industry stay gainfully employed.
As we have grown, we have gained a reputation of excellence. We believe that we have a unique product, which is driven by the people we use. We match the correct people, with suitable skills –  to the right jobs, in balanced teams. We are stubborn about keeping a high standard crew, and will not accept a job if we haven’t got the correct people to send to our clients.

Who we use

Pirates are:
  • Proactive, hard-working technicians and manual handling operatives.
  • Friendly, good humoured and enthusiastic about the work.
  • Thinkers, planners and doers.
  • Respectful and polite to all.
  • Driven by client satisfaction and peer respect.
  • Team players.
  • Perfectionists at work, aiming to be better than everyone else.
  • Safe in their actions.
  • Humble listeners and learners.
  • Good at personal planning – Always on time.
  • Well rested and Sober.
  • Good communicators.
Pirates won’t:
  • Slack off or stand idle, wait around to be told the next task.
  • Expect a job to finish early.
  • Be reckless or arrogant.
  • Look or act in an unprofessional manner.
  • Be late.
  • Be on their phones.
  • Ignore instructions from the Client or Crew Boss
  • Smoke/vape unless in break time and only in designated areas.
  • Ever accept a job if already working a shift prior, and have an inadequate rest period.
  • Solicit their own work whilst representing Pirate Crew.

Do you fit the description?

The Work

Depending on the client and the nature of the job, Pirates will often be used as technicians in a variety of disciplines, manual handling support for the kit, but usually a good mix of both. Much of our work is involved within Theatre builds, shows and get outs. We also work in all other areas of entertainment and events as you’d expect.

We work with our clients to collect as much info about the day as possible and relay it to our teams so they can plan ahead.

JobSheets are provided prior to the booking, giving you all the required info:

  • Address and meeting point.
  • Client contact details
  • Team and Crew Boss details
  • Tools and PPE required
  • Primary job description (subject to change onsite)
  • Pre-arranged travel details

Clock in and Out for shifts is currently handled by SMS. A reminder will be sent at the start and end of each shift. Every Pirate must reply to both, to ensure smooth payment.

Your Status With Pirate

As we do not directly employ you, you are a Sub-Contractor. Unless otherwise arranged at booking stage, all work completed for Pirate Crew is done on a freelance basis and you are responsible for your own Tax and National Insurance contributions.

Public Liability Insurance

We are fully insured for all the work carried out by you on our behalf. If in the event that you injure yourself, someone else or damage any equipment then, unless personal malicious behaviour has led to the incident, our insurance will cover any liabilities.

Current Pay Rates

  • 08:00 – Midnight:  £15.50 per hour
  • Midnight – 08:00:  £19 per hour
  • Senior Tech / Crew Boss Supplement: £4 per hour
  • Forks / IPAF / PASMA Supplement: £4 per hour
  • 3 Hr Call Additional: £6.00 per Call
  • Agreed Travel Hours:  £7.50 per hour
  • Agreed Mileage (Car): £0.35 per mile

Pay Frequency

Payment is always prompt, with any errors (rare) corrected within 1 week or whenever agreeable.  Every Thursday for the previous week (Mon – Sun):
  • Payment is made
  • Invoices auto-generated
  • Remittance advice sent

 

Availability

We expect all Pirates to give us their updated availability to save on valuable time.
Availability is given through the TeamTrack app (log in details provided after successful application.

Travel

Pirates are expected to make their own way to a job within London / local town.  But if extended travel time/distance is needed we will normally agree reimbursement of costs & time with you in advance.
Any expenses can be reclaimed if agreed in advance.

PPE

Your Job Sheets will clearly indicate the PPE that you will need to bring with you to the engagement.

Safety footwear, Hi Viz Vest and a Hard Hat is the absolute minimum. Anyone turning up without these items or with articles in improper state of repair will be turned away from the job, unpaid.

Hi-Viz vests are mandatory for outside working.  Pirates must use any PPE that the venue demands or task dictates.

Tools

The difference between Pirate Crew and other companies is that we provide technicians with tools who know ho to use them.
We expect you to provide an minimum amount of tools:
  • Adjustable Spanner
  • Podger/Quad Spanner/Ring Spanners
  • Blade/Stanley Knife

Cancellations

If we cancel someone for a confirmed job depending on when it happens within 48 hours of the start time, they are remunerated either 50% or 100% of the booked hours.

In return we expect a very good reason if a Pirate cancels a shift with short notice. We are very reasonable, so if a better opportunity has arisen then we just expect good communication.