Definitely 'A' from me.
I fail to see how I will be able to eat as much as I do now in the mess, for the same price, under PAYD. The reason we are so well catered for (banter about burning the water aside) is that all living in pers pay food charges, whether they eat in the mess or not. The ration assassins are allocated
a portion of that money to feed everyone for a day (I think about 40p a head). They know that they will only have to cater for a certain percentage of those people as many choose not to eat in the mess - ie, although they are allocated x amount of person, they can take a calculated risk and spend y amount, with the risk of running out if everyone decides to eat on that particular day.
On a separate, but linked, issue. Most junior ranks' messes have no cooking facilities ("oh, but you have a microwave", the stn cdr says!). How can anyone be expected to eat a full and balanced diet 3 times a day from 1 microwave between 40 people? That leaves no option but to eat in a PAYD mess (at whatever they want to charge), eat microwave meals 3 times a day (fitness and health strategy?), or eat in a restaraunt/burger bar every day (worst of both worlds!).
Also, the caterers only ever got a portion of food money because the rest went to providing free food for OOA detachments for
everyone, including those who did not 'pay in' for it in the first place. I have never met anyone who begrudges this, and certainly don't myself. However, if I am to start paying (close to?) market rates for my meals, and still be subsidising married/living out people on detachments who are getting free meals (along with me) I will be a bit
off!
From a management point of view, how many of my young lads who are rubbish with money (and are not allowed my support as they have 'human rights' to run up loads of debt - OC PSF taking peoples wages and paying them an allowance again, anyone?), are going to eat little/nothing each day, in the belief that they are doing no harm and will be saving a few quid? Just a thought.