The issue of pay for ex service personnel on military contracts has been a contentious issue for years.
I believe it is a matter of personal choice for the staff involved.
Engineers who have taken their licenses are in huge demand at the moment particularly avionics. Contract licensed engineers working huge hours admittedly have earned as much as £100,000 p.a in recent years.
A licensed engineer in a permanent job would earn between £34,000 and
£50,000 depending on employer location e.t.c
However someone who has children at school and a local house with a pension might well believe that a local lesser paid job is a better option.
Are these people being exploited? My personal view is yes. However they have a choice.
There is such an engineer shortage that those who take the trouble to get qualified will have no problem finding work. All the licensed avionics engineers I have worked with in the last 5 years are ex military without exception.
They have fallen into a civil market that I could only dream about when I left the military with courses and licensing training provided on a massive scale by the airlines.
So engineers can choose they are not being posted!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!