Go Back  PPRuNe Forums > Aircrew Forums > Military Aviation
Reload this Page >

RAN Two Months Xmas Leave

Wikiposts
Search
Military Aviation A forum for the professionals who fly military hardware. Also for the backroom boys and girls who support the flying and maintain the equipment, and without whom nothing would ever leave the ground. All armies, navies and air forces of the world equally welcome here.

RAN Two Months Xmas Leave

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old 18th Nov 2008, 09:12
  #1 (permalink)  
Ecce Homo! Loquitur...
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Jul 2000
Location: Peripatetic
Posts: 17,427
Received 1,593 Likes on 730 Posts
RAN Two Months Xmas Leave

Hmmm, hands up who thinks MOD will follow suit? Didn't think so.......


New York Times: Australian Navy Sets 2-Month Leave
Published: November 18, 2008

SYDNEY, Australia — Australian sailors have received an early Christmas gift with the announcement that all non-essential naval staff will be placed on two months’ paid leave over the holidays.

Instead of swabbing the decks and polishing the brass, most of Australia’s roughly 13,000 naval personnel will be allowed to enjoy the lazy days of their southern hemisphere summer break, which begins Dec. 3. The initiative, announced Tuesday by Defense Minister Joel Fitzgibbon, is part of reforms designed to make Australia’s navy a more family-friendly employer.

Australia’s defense forces, like many industries, have suffered from a shortage of skilled workers over the past 15 years as the local economy boomed. Competition from the mining sector and a shift in workers’ attitudes away from lifetime careers have made recruiters’ jobs more difficult. But a new program, known as New Generation Navy, is looking at ways to make the navy a kinder, gentler place to work, with better child care services and flexible conditions for working parents.

Of course, the husbands and wives of the Australian Navy will still have to endure long separations at sea, but they may soon be better rewarded for their sacrifices.

Mr. Fitzgibbon said the government plans additional benefits for navy staff next year.

The government regards the recruitment and retention of staff as “the single biggest challenge” facing its defense forces over the next decade. Eleven percent of navy staff quit each year and only 73 percent of annual recruitment targets are met, according to a report in the Sydney Morning Herald newspaper on Tuesday.

“We can invest billions in capability — warships and fast jets, et cetera — but they’re not much use to us if we don’t have the people to man them,” Mr. Fitzgibbon told national radio. The extended Christmas break is an “interim” measure designed to relieve staff exhausted from covering a 2,020 personnel shortfall, but may become a permanent fixture, Mr. Fitzgibbon said. “There’s no reason why we can’t have a longer stand-down period each Christmas,” he said. “We’re looking at all sorts of ways of encouraging people to stay.”

Navy ships will continue to patrol Australia’s 10,000-plus kilometers of coastline, and around 500 sailors and officers will remain on active duty in the Persian Gulf and other parts of the Middle East, helping with the U.S.-led mission in Iraq.

“Australia’s national security remains our first priority,” Australia’s deputy naval chief, Rear Adm. Davyd Thomas, said in a statement. “Our ships will continue to undertake border protection duties and meet our commitments in the Middle East.”
ORAC is offline  
Old 18th Nov 2008, 09:15
  #2 (permalink)  
Guest
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 1,264
Received 180 Likes on 106 Posts
That sounds like good PR spin for "We're out of money for central heating/fuel, everyone bugger off for two months so we can save some cash"!
PPRuNeUser0211 is offline  
Old 18th Nov 2008, 09:20
  #3 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: East Midlands
Age: 84
Posts: 1,511
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Central Heating? In the Australian Summer? I don't think so! Fuel for ships - probably!
A2QFI is offline  
Old 18th Nov 2008, 10:11
  #4 (permalink)  

Yes, Him
 
Join Date: Aug 1999
Location: West Sussex, UK
Posts: 2,689
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
What about the RAAF and the Army? They getting the same deal?
Gainesy is offline  
Old 18th Nov 2008, 10:58
  #5 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: The Empire
Age: 50
Posts: 249
Received 13 Likes on 8 Posts
I thought that all Air Forces were on permanent holiday.
Doors Off is offline  
Old 18th Nov 2008, 22:02
  #6 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: A 1/2 World away from Ice Statio Kilo
Posts: 404
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Lazy Matelots

No just the Navy, PBA surely you wouldn't question the spin from a MP from a party that learnt their skills from Nu Labour now.
There is no change for those Crabs on OPs which for us and the truckies is quite a few.
The mine industry is paying a lot for mil personnel who know that they have a schedule for the year that is pretty fixed, a fair bit more money, no one shooting at them and they don't have their arse squeezed by the chief after a couple of rums.
Charlie sends
40c and Cray(Lobster) with paxo for Xmas hopefully
Charlie Luncher is offline  
Old 19th Nov 2008, 00:51
  #7 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: May 2005
Location: nocte volant
Posts: 1,114
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Regardless of motivation for the decision, I'd be pretty chuffed about it.
What about the RAAF and the Army? They getting the same deal?
= Almost always on Christmas hols unless deployed.
Trojan1981 is offline  
Old 19th Nov 2008, 01:04
  #8 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: The Fletcher Memorial Home
Age: 59
Posts: 303
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
I do seem to remember serving at a Northern maritime airfield in the UK in the 90's, and being told we had an extra week off at Christmas because the station was shutting for all but essential flying and SAR. The not so secret rumour was that it was to save the leccky bill for heating and lighting.

Over here we also have a major crisis at the moment with childcare, the biggest provider of which has just gone to the wall with some majot debts. This provider is also the company which has the contract to run child care centres on all military bases.

While I'm not suggesting this has a bearing on the RAN decision, it was mooted in the national press that lack of childcare facilities was a major issue with regard to service personel leaving. This stand down will hopefully ease the burden a little.

Ogre
Ogre is offline  

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off



Contact Us - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service

Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.