Chalet staff occupy luxury chalet in Les Menuires after sacking without pay

Good for them for not letting this guy taking advantage of them!!

That boss whatever his name is/was will probably try to reappear as something else next year - I reckon Skithe3v or whatever this years debacle was called will disapear.

My issue is the hope that this sorry episode hasn't queered the pitch for other tour operators in France running the common system of "employing" the staff through a UK company.

I don't think the French authorities could stop this due to it being a prefectly legal solution but they could cause a lot of agro.

Having just done a quick set of sums on having to employ in France under French employement rules would have cost between 75E and 100E PER GUEST extra on my Jan hol this year, just to cover the extra welfare and social element of paying in France.

It isn't about rate of pay, minimum wage etc as employers can recoup accomodation, lift pass, food etc but about the different levels of NI and tax coming in to play.

Somewhere I have a bit of paper entitling me to a French state pension - a few bob per year, but a lot less than I paid in when I was working in France donkeys years ago.

Post editted to correct name as next post says - TVM FQ

OldAndy wrote:That boss whatever his name is/was will probably try to reappear as something else next year - I reckon ski3v or whatever this years debacle was called will disapear.

In respect of various comments made by the LM7, I should point out that the guilty company were called Skithe3v and NOT Ski3v, who are an entirely different company, are based in Courchevel and have nothing whatsoever to do with the offending party.

Some very sad people are blaming the poor workers (who will likely never get all their pay) for problems with their holidays booked with Skithe3v. Unbelievable that these people think it is the unpaid employees fault that that a big time con artist has gone bust.

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Les-Menuires-7/135799119875601

Trencher wrote:Some very sad people are blaming the poor workers (who will likely never get all their pay) for problems with their holidays booked with Skithe3v. Unbelievable that these people think it is the unpaid employees fault that that a big time con artist has gone bust.

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Les-Menuires-7/135799119875601

I was behind these guys 100% but i am starting to have a different opinion of them now.
After reading their tweets and FB pages they are starting to come across as vindictive, childish brats.
I fully agree that they were wronged and they were right to do what they did but now they need to move on with their dignity but instead they bitch and whine all the time.
Life is crap, you won....move on....the company has gone bust and you won't get your money. Don't drop down to his level please.

I thought most of their responses on FB have been well thought out and quite professional (tweeting may be another matter). As for vindictive, I would be too. Remember that they are just kids and of course they are enjoying their 15mins of fame. I think the whole thing was fading away, but they justifiably feel the need to defend themselves when being blamed for a situation they did not create.

It would seem that the company concerned, Skithe3v, has shut down and is no longer operating. There is a simple farewell poem on their website.

I hope nobody from this forum was booked with them, and that anyone who was, gets their money back and manages to arrange an alternate vacation.

I think for kids they handle the situation very well. That the company is shut down is good news but concern is that the guy will reopen under different name and will try to continue with his business of making money for himself by not paying those who work for him. Hopefully authorities wherever he'll try to resurface will think twice before giving him a license. Bancruptsy is a convenient tool to shift liability for your business ineptitude onto others while making a personal fortune at the same time.