If only it wasn't civilianised
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If only it wasn't civilianised
Saw this today and got very annoyed. I have always wondered what will happen when the Civvies get upset. Apparently they and their union will just down tools. If anyone can correct me on this then please feel free. Is Wattisham a combined Civvy/REME workforce? If it is then I feel sorry for the poor pongoes having to cover the extra work. I'm all in favour of people being able to raise concerns and the like but why are we allowing unions to hold the Military to ransom?? I'm assuming that the war won't stop, neither will the training requirement.
BBC News - Crews servicing combat helicopters in Suffolk to strike
Hopefully I've got the wrong end of the stick.....
BBC News - Crews servicing combat helicopters in Suffolk to strike
Hopefully I've got the wrong end of the stick.....
Unfortunately that's the sort of thing which happens if a military service outsources its crucial requirements to some civilian organisation more concerned with profit maximisation than quality of service....
The creeping cancer of contractorisation - it will always end in tears..
It would never have happened in pre-pongo days when Wattisham was Suffolk's finest RAF fighter base, of course!
The creeping cancer of contractorisation - it will always end in tears..
It would never have happened in pre-pongo days when Wattisham was Suffolk's finest RAF fighter base, of course!
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Beags
"It would never have happened in pre-pongo days when Wattisham was Suffolk's finest RAF fighter base, of course!"
Whatashame was a dogs breakfast in its "pre-pongo" days and never got to be any better.
Whatashame was a dogs breakfast in its "pre-pongo" days and never got to be any better.
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Easy! Pay them all the same and then give the Hampshire people a Cost of Living Allowance. We don't know what the base salary is but I think that Wattisham people probably have more cash in their pockets on the last day of the month!
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It does really matter, of the 150 staff only 85 voted and they have 100 members. If they go on strike it will be a dismissable offence for a non-union member to strike, so 50 staff will work as a minimum. Even though 85 voted, I'd be surprised if more 50% of those how voted went on strike, therefore it's likely 90+ staff will cross the picket line.
In the current climate strike action is as effective as it used to be, ask PCS, NUT and the ATL. In some government departments only 1% of staff supported the PCS strike over pension changes. We offered 40 redundancies to our staff, the majority who left were known Union members even though the Union opposed the redundancies, one of the union reps applied for redundancy as well!
At worst Unite will strike for a day and work will continue on without them, the next strike will be less well supported and management will win. In this economic climate management have the upper hand.
In the current climate strike action is as effective as it used to be, ask PCS, NUT and the ATL. In some government departments only 1% of staff supported the PCS strike over pension changes. We offered 40 redundancies to our staff, the majority who left were known Union members even though the Union opposed the redundancies, one of the union reps applied for redundancy as well!
At worst Unite will strike for a day and work will continue on without them, the next strike will be less well supported and management will win. In this economic climate management have the upper hand.
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Sorry, I'm with Beags on this. Would never have happened in the old days. Things have been civilianised way too far over the last 15 years.All this is just UNITE willy-waving. Pity we havent got a party in power that has any vertebrae to be able to stand up to them.
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Military people get a the same basic pay world wide and allowances to compensate them for the vagaries of local conditions. Why shouldn't civilians working for the military be treated the same? Discuss, without resorting to verbal abuse.
Last edited by A2QFI; 24th Aug 2011 at 10:29.
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Do the AW and VT people doing the engineering at the various SAR flights get different rates?
It can be more difficult to get the same skills at different parts of the country and therefore an extra few quid needed, particular if somewhere is in the middle of nowhere!
It can be more difficult to get the same skills at different parts of the country and therefore an extra few quid needed, particular if somewhere is in the middle of nowhere!
BEagle, Jabba.
I'm afraid this cr@p goes way back. I remember that the Harrier due to display at the Finningley At Home in 1970 was cancelled because of industrial (in)action.
You'd think that some bright b***er at MoD would get the message by now
I'm afraid this cr@p goes way back. I remember that the Harrier due to display at the Finningley At Home in 1970 was cancelled because of industrial (in)action.
You'd think that some bright b***er at MoD would get the message by now
Sorry, I'm with Beags on this. Would never have happened in the old days. Things have been civilianised way too far over the last 15 years.All this is just UNITE willy-waving. Pity we havent got a party in power that has any vertebrae to be able to stand up to them.
I don't know about the specifics of this case but generally I'm heartily sick of workers being treated like crap by management, So - if it is militarily & defence important - keep it with the military only & don't have civies involved - that'll cost a bob or two too.
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A2QFI:I remember getting a London allowance when posted to Bentley Priory, but nothing when at the secret Chiltern HQ, which was an equally expensive area nor when at Buchan for 7 years considering Aberdeenshire was one of the most expensive places outside of London to live and work at the time because of the oil industry. We just had to lump it and get on with it. So, in terms of giving them the same basic regardless, yes, I'm in favour. If they dont like it, then leave. I'm sure we can import more from overseas to do what they're too hung up to do.The vagaries you refer to these days are more er... international, shall we say rather than UK regional. This is a UK regional thing.Certain functions can be civiliansed with not much impact. But stuff like this, the military should never have let go of. Never. All this is about is UNITE stirring it up.
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Sealand an example of over-civilianisation
I seem to recall that Sealand, then the home of radar/radio repair had allowed its workforce to become almost totally (MOD) civilianised back in the 70s. Everything fine until the Derek Hattons of this world started to wind up the natives. Strikes/Treats of strikes made the MOD realise that there were no/very few RAF technicians who had real knowledge of deep servicing procedures. Solution was to start moving blue suits back in to the servicing sqns. Will we never learn?
to some civilian organisation more concerned with profit
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Military people get a the same basic pay world wide and allowances to compensate them for the vagaries of local conditions. Why shouldn't civilians working for the military be treated the same? Discuss, without resorting to verbal abuse.
First responsibility of the directors is to the shareholders. That does not necessarily mean a quick buck now - long, slowere burn might give better returns over time. It is, of course, a matter of judgement
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A2QFI
Your Post No 11
1. Civilian employees have a maximum working week.
2. Civilian employees do not do Armed Gate Guard.
3. Civilian employees do not regularly disappear to the far side of the Planet in response to the midnight phone call.
4. If the Civilian workforce are in dispute with their Employers they cease work - for the Military that would be "Mutiny".
Your Post No 11
1. Civilian employees have a maximum working week.
2. Civilian employees do not do Armed Gate Guard.
3. Civilian employees do not regularly disappear to the far side of the Planet in response to the midnight phone call.
4. If the Civilian workforce are in dispute with their Employers they cease work - for the Military that would be "Mutiny".
Last edited by cazatou; 25th Aug 2011 at 11:27.