Standby Pay

[Aerobratic]

I recently heard (on good authority) that the RAF currently pays its Medical Locums £1000 per weekend to be on standby duties and even more on public holidays.

While I understand that there are recruitment issues for the Doc Branch and that we all want 24hr Med cover at our bases, does this mean that when we are even shorter of crews to cover standby duties over weekends (QRA/SAR/OO etc) that they can expect to receive inconvenience tokens to smooth the water?

I am no expert, but £500/day seems like a lot of money. I heard of 5 aircrew PVRs from one Wg this week. Maybe they are off to Med School?

:)

[JessTheDog]

Watch the Working Time Directive. This has hit the medical world badly as standby time is considered as work time, even if asleep. The MoD has a waiver (derogation) for some activities (ie war) but I doubt that the normal peacetime tempo would be exempt from this EU regulation.

For example:

"Article 6 - Maximum weekly working time
Member States shall take the measures necessary to ensure that, in keeping with the need to protect the safety and health of workers:
1. the period of weekly working time is limited by means of laws, regulations or administrative provisions or by collective agreements or agreements between the two sides of industry;
2. the average working time for each seven-day period, including overtime, does not exceed 48 hours.
Article 7 - Annual leave
1. Member States shall take the measures necessary to ensure that every worker is entitled to paid annual leave of at least four weeks in accordance with the conditions for entitlement to, and granting of, such leave laid down by national legislation and/or practice.
2. night workers whose work involves special hazards or heavy physical or mental strain do not work more than eight hours in any period of 24 hours during which they perform night work"

For those of us who have worked the good old 2 12hr days/ 2 12 hr nights 4 off, this put us at the threshold. So when your boss phones you up on one of your rest days for guard/guard cdr/OO/to cover for someone sick or on leave, then you can put in a redress and go to an employment tribunal as the rules on ETs have been modified to allow armed forces access on the grounds of WTD breaches.

I may seem like a Bolshevik or barrack room lawyer but there is a clear correlation between:

a. "playing the game" in the manner described above.
b. allowing cutbacks in establishment on the grounds there are enoufh bodies.
c. Hoon et al spouting off about "no overstetch" and revisiting b. above!