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View Full Version : LSA - The final straw


Testingtheseatlimit2
2nd Feb 2006, 10:39
I have just had my 'days away' given to me for the new "improved" LSA to start alongside JPA. I've been given 351 days for my 21 years service so far. Clearly C**p! Asked why? Apparently only goes back to 1999. So all service and time away from my loved ones doesn't count before then? I'm really not usually one to worry too much about my lot in the RAF as it was my decision to join in the first place. However, almost on a daily basis, I am losing faith with the system as it slowly but surely attempts to screw every last penny out of me it can, or make some new rule designed to take any good times out of my life by introducing more rules and regs, (See other threads). On a conservative estimate I have spent 1500 days away in my time so far, which would put me in the level 5 bracket of the new LSA system, on £14 a day. Instead I am on the bottom rung at £5.?/ a day. By the way I'm on the middle rate of LSSA - £8.70 at the moment, so I'm dropping down!!! Now, whilst I am spending 50% of my time apart from my family (current lot), not by choice, I am being told to move on to actuals, keep my receipts and spend a number of hours self administrating when I return from my 3-week absences (average) and take a cut in seperation allowance. Throw into the that the complete ineptitide of our DPA in providing us with viable/operational kit to use (that might compensate for the shyt we are contending with administratively), the stupid amount of PCism, the complete lack of realistic career opportunties on an equal basis as we draw down in size (again) and the complete lack of senior leadership in the RAF ("if you don't like it leave" attitude is currently what I hear). Bottom line, the RAF is now 'just a job'. It is not the worthy way of life it was when I joined. I know things change and we have to adapt, that has always been the way, but things are getting out of hand now. What is there to be happy about as we align ourselves with civvi street but still have all the bad bits of being in the military to contend with? By the way, I've heard that civil servants are on actuals but are not capped. Is that true? If so, how does that work then? Happy to align with all government agencies, but to screw the very men you put in the firing line, is that moral? Then there is travel. On any one trip, I can be travelling with men of the same rank from different orgs, where some are in Business, some are in Traveller Plus/Prem Econ and some are in Economy. Is that right or fair? I am starting to think that the only way is out.... probably what 'they' want anyway. Just makes me really sad that it has come to this when all I really ever wanted was to be part of a great institution, as it once was. Overall, nice to feel valued. :{ Nuff said, rant over.

P.S. By the way, happy to accept and apologise if anything I have said above is factually incorrect!

dallas
2nd Feb 2006, 11:00
I was waiting for this one to come up - LSA level qualification.

I'm actually surprised they haven't zeroed everyone's qualification to J-Day, but that might be too much chiselling even for them! It follows the pattern of Pay 2000 when it took me 4 years to get to the same level I would have been on had I been promoted a month earlier.

"If you don't like it, leave" - yes sir, on my way.

endplay
2nd Feb 2006, 11:48
IIRC the qualification date goes back to the launch of LSSA. LSA is a modification of the system. It was introduced to ensure that people who go away a lot get progressively more than those who only do the odd OOA tour. The extra levels are funded by the removal of the bonus element of LSSA, which may seem scroogelike at first glance but in reality hardly anyone ever qualified anyway. The good thing now is that any time accrued stays with you forever, unlike the bonus which had a time element. Also levels 1-3 of the new system are the same as the old low, medium and high rates of LSSA so there's a direct read over. The only potential "losers" are the few who would have qualified for the bonus and this will be offset by their moving up levels. For the vast majority its a good change. Could have been better but not really deserving of such a rant IMHO (although if it felt good it probably was good)

Edit. Testing, just noticed you said you had dropped from middle to level 1. I was assured that this wouldn't happen so I'd revisit PSF if I was you.

dallas
2nd Feb 2006, 11:52
Perhaps we need to spend more on our marketing people.

Thank you Endplay, explained like that it's fair.

Roland Pulfrew
2nd Feb 2006, 12:05
Testingtheseat limit

Be thankful you have been credited with that much. Just remember those who are currently serving involuntarily unaccompanied and therefore spend 5/7ths of each week away from home, but in the same theatre get no credit at all. So you can spend 5/7ths (OK maybe 4/7ths after leave and public holidays) of the year away from home and be credited with nothing!! Apparently I have not seen my LSA go up for the last 2 years!:{

The Gorilla
2nd Feb 2006, 13:31
Everybody knew back in 99 that we all started from scratch. No one should be in the least bit surprised?

Testingtheseatlimit2
2nd Feb 2006, 13:56
Fair enough Gorilla, I'll try to understand it all because I should have known. As I said, happy to admit to being wrong! Clearly, this makes it all fair, doesn't it?

Spotting Bad Guys
2nd Feb 2006, 14:08
I asked the same question as I am about 50 days into the high rate under the old system but seemed to indicate that I would drop to level 2 on the new. The advice I was given is that you will stay on the same level financially i.e. high = level 3 pay but you will need to accrue the correct number of days in total to step up to level 4. Effectively this means a longer period at level 3, but it seems fair in the long run.

What does amaze me is that it wasn't made clear from the outset given the furore likely by personnel thinking they were about to take a drop!

The top levels seem quite attractive pay-wise but it'll take a hell of a lot of time deployed to get there!

SBG

dolphin 153
2nd Feb 2006, 16:40
from memory of reading the paperwork when this was first proposed, if you join from now you will get nothing for the first 100 qualified days away and the levels would increase by 100 days accordingly. for those that are currently in they would get credited with an extra 100 days to keep them in the same "level" as before.

southside
2nd Feb 2006, 21:38
Just remember those who are currently serving involuntarily Who is serving involuntarily...? Thought we had all volunteered.... but you will argue that your point is that you were talking about involuntarily working away from home. There is a way of avoiding working away from home....

Surely the reason you joined up was to work away from home?

BEagle
2nd Feb 2006, 21:54
The polymorphic pratt shoots himself in his Sea Scout boots yet again....:bored:

Clearly doesn't understand normal service definitions.....:(

The Rocket
2nd Feb 2006, 22:06
Oooh, I'd like to shoot him in his Sea Scout boots.

Or whatever other item of footwear he was wearing at the time:E

southside
3rd Feb 2006, 06:01
Im just trying to understand why most posters on here seem to want to stay at home all the time? Isnt being in the Armed Forces ABOUT working overseas in foreign climes and working as a team with comrades. Someone once told me that the difference between the RAF and the Army/RN was that the RAF were just civilians in a Uniform. Sometimes, when I read the moaners and mankers on here I start to believe him.

Roland Pulfrew
3rd Feb 2006, 07:19
Southside you complete to**er.

Re read the post! I put "involuntarily unaccompanied", not involuntarily, of course I am a volunteer to serve. (:mad: :mad: Words fail me as to the stupity of this boy scout, or should that be sea scout). That means I am posted away from home, but because of the employment conditions of my better half, we are posted apart, but we live in the same country. However the services give no recognition for the fact that I spend 4/7ths of the year away from home, if I was on an operational det then I would qualify for LSSA.

I have done plenty of time away in previous jobs, working as part of a team, deployed overseas on some very nice and some not so nice detachments. I have enjoyed all of them. If you think there is a difference between the RAF and the RN/Army then you are even more niave then you lead us to believe. Just go to ARRSE to see how much the army complain about their op tempo as well, so perhaps it is only a small part of the ever shrinking FAA that has rose coloured spectacles on.



Do you live at home? With mummy?

"Rant switch to Off"

BEagle
3rd Feb 2006, 07:52
I rather guessed you might post something in that vein, Roly!

If he doesn't still live with mummy, the Sea Scout clearly lives in his own little fantasy world. Or rather the one he shares with his alter egos who also post on PPRuNE.... :rolleyes:

L J R
3rd Feb 2006, 11:58
Ok... Finally, I got sick of southside.



SOUTHSIDE - YOU IDIOT!




..

handyman
3rd Feb 2006, 12:34
Please don't think that Southside represents the whole of the FAA.....I get the feeling from other posts that we all think he is a prat as well!!

Handyman

BEagle
3rd Feb 2006, 12:39
I'm absolutely sure that Southside doesn't represent any of the FAA.....I get the feeling from other posts that indeed the rest of the senior service think he is a prat as well!!

Good bit of RN work on the radio just now. Well done, HMS Southampton :ok: !

Tourist
3rd Feb 2006, 19:00
Most of us just assume (pray)he isn't in fact in the FAA