2016 Pay Award
 

If anyone fancies a depressing read:

http://https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/505928/53949_Armed_Forces_Pay_Review_2016_Accessible.pdf

"Award" is a bit of misnomer surely

I work for a very large UK plc. In sorting out and removing a number of anomalies (eg same grade, different start date = different levels of overtime premium, for example) my grade was awarded a 2.8% increment, but at the same time I've lost half that amount in premiums now removed for early/late working, so about 1.4% net.

Yet the guys/gals who work for me (and don't start early/finish late as often (if ever) have had 3.1%.

The grass isn't any greener outside :\

The AFPRB can recommend whatever they like but we'll still only get the 1% that the gov has said the public sector will get.

Before I waste half an hour of my life reading this, is it in any way substantially different from the following:

Pay & allowances up 1%, charges up 3%
Still broadly equivalent reward with that on offer in civilian life
Recognise it's a tough world out there, uncertainty, long hours, lost leave families hacked off, but still believe 1% is the right increase.
Recognise that there are problems in policy X,Y & Z, glad to hear the MOD is looking into it, look forward to reading the results of their findings.

Melch,

The only thing you're missing is that the PAYD core meal 'has not, for some years, been providing adequate levels of nutrition to personnel'. Net result: Add VAT to core meal and make everyone pay more!

RRP (Flying)

3.25. We were expecting a full review of RRP (Flying) (RRP(F)) for this Report. RRP(F) is paid
to pilots and some aircrew in all three Services in recognition of the competition for this cadre from external employers. It is paid at levels that vary by rank and length of service as set out in Appendix 2.

3.26. Rather than a review with proposals for changes, MOD submitted an information note describing the position. While this painted a fairly bleak picture on retention, particularly for pilots, it con rmed that the review had been postponed by a year to allow it to be carried out in the light of the 2015 SDSR and following the introduction of the NEM pay structure. The information note concluded that the majority of aircrew cadres were broadly in staf ng balance but that there were a number of serious concerns in some areas including the capacity of the training pipeline.

3.27. While we understand some of the arguments for why it was not appropriate to undertake the review prior to the SDSR, the situation would appear to need short term action
both on retention of existing personnel and recruitment to meet future requirements. Following publication of the SDSR and having clarity on NEM Pay, we urge MOD to consider what might be required and make proposals as soon as possible. We are content to consider these in advance of next round if that would be helpful.



So it looks like someone has noticed there is a retention problem and an issue with the pipeline. Now if only that someone was actually inside the MOD and not an 'independent' outsider.

Ohh well, the 'short-term' action should be interesting to see if it appears...

1% isn't a good pay rise and I genuinely feel concern for all those in receipt of that. However it has to be pointed out this isn't a good time for many ordinary workers in the UK. Steel has been decimated with jobs and livelihoods lost forever - the industry rapidly becoming untenable to even survive.
Offshore oil and gas also on a now pretty major downturn with jobs shed and wages slashed for many (5 to 25% in some places).
1% at least a move in at least the right direction...
Bound and blindfolded and prepared to be shot I am for saying that, but there it is. The UK in 2016.

2.57 - Good to see that HMRC can't be bothered with Reservists' tax issues when mobilised. Joined-up government isn't very joined up yet :D

Has NI been increased for armed forces personnel as has happened with other people who are contracted out of SERPS and have final salary or CARE pensions? If it has then the 1% will be cancelled out by the NI increase.

Hangarshuffle,

I'm not really bothered about the private sector and their perf-related pay and bonuses etc...it is widely accepted that average public sector pay underperforms the private sector pretty consistently.

Oil and Gas on the downturn. That's a desperate shame. Those folks raking in the big bucks for years; milking the petroleum cash cow dry... it's awful that things aren't as good now, truly it is. My heart bleeds. Was the boon really going to last forever? No. A glut of oil now will turn into a shortage later on and we'll all be paying through the nose for petrol and diesel again. Then the good times will roll but the public sector will still have their 1% pa.

Market forces predominantly drive the private sector; the same cannot be said for the public sector.

Yes it has.......

Sadly the private sector and the Great British public are not really bothered about the military now Afghan is over. No votes in defence as Hammond said before the last election.

Suck it up or get out is the sad reality.

Yep, I saw something about it a while back. So something else to look forward to in April - actually I wonder what the chances are of individuals take home pay actually going down because of increases to charges, NI etc set against yet another 1% rise? No doubt it'll be trumpeted with much fanfare as an above inflation rise, carefully forgetting the Govt intent is for inflation to actually be double the rise along with all the years when it was significantly below inflation.

If the cap fits...

Having been 27 years in the military and now 13 years in the commercial world I despair of this polarised blinkered thinking.

What total arse. Public sector pensions are light years ahead of anything in the private sector and have been for a very long time. Public sector pay measures up very well against vast swathes of the private sector where millions of jobs are zero hours, minimum pay (retail, agriculture, care etc) with no pension, minimum time off and **** all fringe benefits, like medical, dental, sport etc.

If you don't think your pay, pension and perks are not good enough, get out and try the commercial world. Don't expect too much of the moral persuasive leadership though. In this world it's more a case of...

"show me the numbers"..."not good enough"..."**** off".

+1

Are you sure about that? Didn't a previous head of AFPRB resign over this exact point.

As I understand it the AFPRB can only recommend an award within the range that Govt has told them is affordable. If it were truly independant it could recommend, say 6% and then have the Govt cap it at 1%. Since this would make the Govt look bad they aren't allowed to do this.


Edit: It wasn't a resignation after all. It was Prof Alasdair Smith in 2013 that I was thinking of. He was fired for daring to suggest a 1.5% rise when Govt had told him 1% was the limit.

Although no longer serving I do feel for my former colleagues during this period of austerity measures. As an earlier poster quite succinctly put it "Joe Public soon forgets when there is no percieved 'war' going on"

However I have another theory and it's possible that these miserly pay rises are nothing to do with cost cutting at all. In a survey of JPA & 25 Handbrake House's it was found that the JPA system and the majority of scribbly's could only just manage to work out a 1% pay rise and any numbers larger than that crashed JPA and caused a number of Scribbly heads to fall off and roll around the floor in Gen Office. :}

So true. At least the armed forces do have an annual review! I work in the private sector and I've had only two measly pay rises (well below the relevant inflation rates) in ten years.

Greener for me, albeit with lower basic pay. Relatively stress free job though. Last few years were 2% ('16), 2%, 2.7%, 3.2%.

Our union has just rejected a 27% pay rise* - although significant changes to Ts & Cs were involved.

* Offered by the company, rejected by the union, company offered to ballot members, union refused!

The civil world has pros and cons, as does the Mil. You have to decide for yourself whether 1% is good or bad depending on your circumstances.
I left as a Sqn Ldr pilot in 2004, my current Air Ambulance pilot wage plus extras for training new staff is only JUST reaching my military salary level. I pay optical/dental/prescriptions and have less benefits. Job security? None.
I do have medical insurance and a good loss of licence cover.
At night, I shut the door and go home with no extra duties, I see my family 350 days a year. That is worth a million pounds to me personally.

You ARE STILL well paid, it's just not as fabulous as it was.

Suck it up or leave. It's good out here, buts it's good in there as well