Imagine the civilian equivalent - could you imagine anyone signing any contract that whose Ts & Cs only covered minimum work required, but no mention of pay or pension.
Uncle G,
I really sympathise with your position. However, much as I agree that a starting salary would be part of any civilian contract, change - good or bad - after the first year is always a distinct possibility in the civilian world. More importantly, never forget that most civilians would be delighted to think that they had a job for the next 3 years, planning for the next 14 years would be almost unimaginable. So a degree of magnanimity is probably appropriate.
I hope everything works out for you, and remember that a lot can happen in 3 years.