Help for Gabi

[Diver Kat]

Dear Marg,

Only those shops that operate within the law, and pay payroll taxes can get their employees on Social Security. Those that charge very low rates, try $50 to $60 per trip, do not and their employees cannot get health care and disability insurance from the system. So while many Cozumel fans enjoy very low rates for diving from their "friends", in fact they are not doing a favor to those they are friends with. Gabi is a prime example of this.

Dave Dillehay
Aldora Divers

I'm shocked. Guess - like many - I thought since this op was run so openly, they were following standard practice and their employees were registered. I know my current op covers their employees, but just goes to show, we should never assume. It makes me wonder about the various dive ops I've used over the years, and if their employees were covered or not. And how widespread is this problem. Is it the majority of dive ops? Or just a few? I would bet most would pay a few dollars more every day to know that the employees they depend on have proper coverage. I know Gabi chose to work where he did, but it's sad that he is now in this position of depending solely on others for financial aid, and not receiving benefits he should have been entitled to. Maybe an upside to this accident will be for more divers to make sure the dive op of their choice is providing coverage for their employees, and more employees will be covered. Thanks for sharing the info Dave.

 

[Dave Dillehay]

OK, I'll keep it open till November 15th.


Dave Dillehay
Aldora Divers

 

[DandyDon]

I know my current op covers their employees, but just goes to show, we should never assume.

So how do you verify such? It'd be nice to know that a businesses employees are covered - Ops, hotels, cafes, etc., Mexico, Honduras, wherever - but how do you know? It seems up to each country to enforce respective laws, and employees to insist, and I am hesitant about pushing US policies off on other countries. My governor wants to invade Mexico to fight drug cartels. :silly: Fortunately he can't afford it.

 

[Craig66]

I am hesitant about pushing US policies off on other countries.

DD I do agree with you and I think we sometimes make the mistake of assuming that what works for America (or doesn"t as us young uns (thats me not you ..hehe.. )will discover when it comes to the non existant social security - but I digress) works for the rest of the world and that is not always the case. However this is a situation where we see that unfortunately the business model chosen can have far reaching implications for their employees and as the consumer choosing to go with a dive op that is not bieng totally transparent can exacerbate the problem and make it harder for Dive ops that are trying to act in accordance with the law of the land.

Also on a purely selfish level I need to be worried as a consumer as to whether those same cost cutting measures are extending to include safery measures such as tank quality, gear maintenance, air quality, equipment quality, etc.

I find myself in a very difficult spot as I have really enjoyed diving with SM over the years and think that a nicer bunch of people one would be hard pressed to find but yet I am concerned about the details that are coming to light. When one does an accident analysis most of us would not try and pull off a dive like this but maybe the learning point is not about the dive but that whether it be stateside or overseas that we should be deligent consumers and not just accept that a pretty store front with PADI stickers all over it neccessarily mean that all is above board.

 

[DandyDon]

Ok, so my question remains: So how do you verify such?

 

[Craig66]

DD I dont know the answer to that. But for me it was a question I did not even know existed until last month.

 

[Hawkwood]

....

I find myself in a very difficult spot as I have really enjoyed diving with SM over the years and think that a nicer bunch of people one would be hard pressed to find but yet I am concerned about the details that are coming to light. When one does an accident analysis most of us would not try and pull off a dive like this but maybe the learning point is not about the dive but that whether it be stateside or overseas that we should be deligent consumers and not just accept that a pretty store front with PADI stickers all over it neccessarily mean that all is above board.

Their instruction is through independent PADI instructors - SM is not a PADI Dive Centre or Dive Resort.

 

[Craig66]

Their instruction is through independent PADI instructors - SM is not a PADI Dive Centre or Dive Resort.

Hawkwood, Thanks I am aware of that I was talking not just about SM but about all Ops in broad general terms. The PADI issue was discussed on one of the A&I boards a few days ago.

 

[Diver Kat]

So how do you verify such?

For myself, I've been diving with my current op for almost 7 years, so things had been said in general conversation in the past. But after the subject came up now, I asked directly. It's not even so much that I would worry about diving with an op that didn't cover their employees, but more so that I would like to see dive ops value their employees enough to cover them, if they are able to. Not knowing much about MX SS, is it expensive, and that's why they don't cover employees? I've had the impression it wasn't cost prohibitive, but I could be wrong.

... I am hesitant about pushing US policies off on other countries.

I'm not for pushing US policies onto other countries, but I was aware that Mexico already did have their own SS program. Still not sure of how it operates or what all it covers, but I guess I was surprised to discover that it's 'optional'.

 

[Craig66]

Their instruction is through independent PADI instructors - SM is not a PADI Dive Centre or Dive Resort.

Hawkwood for that matter SM also doesnt have a pretty store front Although it was probably one of the friendliest looking ones especially when Opal manned (or wo-manned) the window