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1% Pay Rise from 2013

Allen_W

Clanker
If this has started somewhere else I apologise.

I listened to Patrick Mercer MP gobbing off on 5 Live yesterday about the forces pay rise being limited to 1% from 2013. His response to the question that it seems to be a pay cut was that 'a large proportion of the forces didn't go on operations and that operational allowances have been increased' ?!?

Mercer is a retired officer who commanded a regiment and seems to have forgotten, if indeed he ever knew, just how poorly paid our very junior NCO's and private soldiers really are.

I have just emailed Mercer and given him a piece of my mind (something I can ill afford to do!) and also pointed out the obvious high rate of inflation and the slim chances of it ever reaching the 2% target.

This is his office email address should you wish to make a comment: admin@newarkconservatives.com
 
If this has started somewhere else I apologise.

I listened to Patrick Mercer MP gobbing off on 5 Live yesterday about the forces pay rise being limited to 1% from 2013. His response to the question that it seems to be a pay cut was that 'a large proportion of the forces didn't go on operations and that operational allowances have been increased' ?!?

Mercer is a retired officer who commanded a regiment and seems to have forgotten, if indeed he ever knew, just how poorly paid our very junior NCO's and private soldiers really are.

I have just emailed Mercer and given him a piece of my mind (something I can ill afford to do!) and also pointed out the obvious high rate of inflation and the slim chances of it ever reaching the 2% target.

This is his office email address should you wish to make a comment: admin@[B]newark[/B]conservatives.com

NEWARK is an anagram of ******. You may wish to include that in your correspondence.
 
Mercer is a retired officer who commanded a regiment and seems to have forgotten, if indeed he ever knew, just how poorly paid our very junior NCO's and private soldiers really are.

I made just this point recently in another thread re. TEA and TA soldiers and stated that their pay was far from good (only 5% X factor) and that a few quid (£3-75 to be precise) went some i.e. a little way towards providing recompense for attending training and did not leave them too much out-of-pocket. Needless to say, I was shot down by one of our beloved Mods, whose own recent knowledge of our Army goes all the way up to 1997.

Once you are a full screw, you are on a reasonable wedge, but what we pay our most junior soldiers is, quite frankly, a national embarrassment. Funnily enough, this point was highlighted in Dead Men Risen.
 
I'm sympathetic to the lowest paid but I don't think this is likely to gain much sympathy.

1) The army is currently trying to lose people not gain them. There is no need to raise pay to attract candidates, especially is a recession.

2) Like it or not the wages offered are about the going rate. £13,000 as a recruit for someone who can be essentially unqualified rising to £17,000 after a short period of training is probably better than someone can expect in civilian life, especially with the other benefits army life entails.
 
I'm sympathetic to the lowest paid but I don't think this is likely to gain much sympathy.

1) The army is currently trying to lose people not gain them. There is no need to raise pay to attract candidates, especially is a recession.

2) Like it or not the wages offered are about the going rate. £13,000 as a recruit for someone who can be essentially unqualified rising to £17,000 after a short period of training is probably better than someone can expect in civilian life, especially with the other benefits army life entails.

Your points are, by and large, valid. However, my objection was to the pay cut via inflation which even if it does reach the magical 2% will still be a pay cut each and every year until they decide to change it.
 
2) Like it or not the wages offered are about the going rate. £13,000 as a recruit for someone who can be essentially unqualified rising to £17,000 after a short period of training is probably better than someone can expect in civilian life, especially with the other benefits army life entails.

That isn't to bad I've got people working here for less than that.
Not bad for a junior in the block really is it we all managed once upon a time.
Op allowence gives not a bad boost when away either especialy if you pretty much out of harms way.
 
Your points are, by and large, valid. However, my objection was to the pay cut via inflation which even if it does reach the magical 2% will still be a pay cut each and every year until they decide to change it.

You didn't get all huffy the last 3yrs I had a less than inflationary pay rise, so it only when it effects you it's worth spitting vinegar?
 
What do you expect your in the Public sector pot of money after all?

Ah, yes, the public pot. No-one in the public sector other than captive audiences, like squadies, will take a pay cut of 4%! The unions would create havoc (please don't post on strikes!)
At worst there have been pay freezes for a couple of years but no-one is taking a hit like the forces.
 
Ah, yes, the public pot. No-one in the public sector other than captive audiences, like squadies, will take a pay cut of 6%! The unions would create havoc (please don't post on strikes!)
At worst there have been pay freezes for a couple of years but no-one is taking a hit like the forces.

All the public sector are taking a 'hit'
 
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