Al R: "So, do we want a Federation that is able (perhaps not now, but perhaps in 10. 20 years) to call HM Forces out on strike, or to restrict working practice? We have to establish that principle here and now, because sure as eggs is eggs, thats what will be happening in the year 2028"
Why? That's in 20 years time. Presumably if any armed forces personnel were going to go out on strike it would be our cheroot-smoking, mustachio'd European cousins? And many of them have had representative associations for a lot longer than 20 years. Such as the Danes, fighting alongside British troops in Helmand.
Actually, the only verified example of industrial action in the armed forces of any advanced country involved some gendarmes (on non-deployed police duties but technically members of the French armed forces) on, I think, some Caribbean island.
The US Armed Forces have strong representative bodies like the Association of the United States Army - founded 1950.
This from
British Armed Forces Federation - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia :
English language examples of military staff association
Dates of establishment are shown in brackets.
Australia
Ireland
United States
Last edited by baffman; 31st Jul 2008 at 13:57.