I think there's an element of the 'law of unintended consequences' about this. Is Manning starting to see FTRS applications to return to Regular service in a higher rank than when people left?
They also need to sort the nonsense of the pensions payments too, though. FTRS is a new career and should be treated as such. If you've earned your pension, and leave the Regular RAF you should be able to claim it, and anything you earn as an FTRS role should be separate. The problem is that the FTRS is treated almost as a continuation of service, and I have seen people move back and forth between regular and reserve. However, people want to advance in their careers and if you're a wg cdr at the top of the scale, the only way to increase remuneration under the current system may be to apply for the next rank up as FTRS.
It is understandable to see how promotion within a particular specialist area (as described by downsizer) comes about. As in the outside world, people apply for the next rank up and they look like (may be) the best person for the job, especially versus an unknown quantity. The tick in the box comes from having been scored by a prom board, at some point previously, but not promoted due to the limited opportunities at the time. I can't see how this works for the second promotion though - perhaps that's why COS Pers has taken this action.
The real inequity here, which I have seen, is that the limitation in promotions below the PSL means that some areas really needing resource, which Manning considers to be third tier, are simply not filled. In part this is due to a need to retain a balance at the lower ranks, so the areas needing these posts to be filled switch them to FTRS and 'take' people from the lower ranks anyway. A sqn ldr prom board may score 15, with a PSL of 4, offer another 2 acting, leaving positions 7 and below with nothing, even though there may be 20 or more gaps at SO1 level. The desperate gapped-post owner is forced to convert the gap to wg cdr FTRS, with the blessing of Manning, and number 15 off the board applies for and gets it. This leaves a gap at the SO2 level and Nos 7-14 go without, but the £ cost to the RAF is not much different to what the Regular post would've cost - the capitation cost of a wg cdr is considerable, FTRS or not!
Oh and yes, Vascodegama, you are correct!