36 Signal Regiment has been providing the comms support for FRESCO in Suffolk (yes - it as happening although there has been little press attention). The brief was for two teams of volunteers, one on shift with the others continuing in their normal jobs but on zero notice to move. The deal was that both would be paid full MTDs for the duration of the operation to compensate for the disruption to their normal lives.
Fast forward six weeks and things are running smoothly. The TA soldiers are doing a great job. Those with employers are mostly taking unpaid leave, the self employed are giving up most of the jobs coming their way. At this point the bean counters start to question why the standby team is being paid so much â after all they arenât working - and it has been decided that they will only be paid quarter MTDs. As a result both teams have decided that they no longer want to play.
Their reasoning is;
1. The TA (or at least this bit of it) have no wish to be a cheap substitute for regular army soldiers or formal mobilisation. They have no pension rights or employment protection and those with employers are only able to continue due to their goodwill.
2. They can no longer afford to continue. Those who are self employed are generally turning away business and earn less from TA pay than their normal employment, for the unemployed this is their only form of income. The £7 pounds a Signalman gets as a quarter days pay is not anything like adequate compensation for what they loose in lost business while on shift.
At the moment the Regimentâs PSIs are being trained to take over. Do the maths â regular Sgts and SSgts or TA Signalmen â who costs more?
Fast forward six weeks and things are running smoothly. The TA soldiers are doing a great job. Those with employers are mostly taking unpaid leave, the self employed are giving up most of the jobs coming their way. At this point the bean counters start to question why the standby team is being paid so much â after all they arenât working - and it has been decided that they will only be paid quarter MTDs. As a result both teams have decided that they no longer want to play.
Their reasoning is;
1. The TA (or at least this bit of it) have no wish to be a cheap substitute for regular army soldiers or formal mobilisation. They have no pension rights or employment protection and those with employers are only able to continue due to their goodwill.
2. They can no longer afford to continue. Those who are self employed are generally turning away business and earn less from TA pay than their normal employment, for the unemployed this is their only form of income. The £7 pounds a Signalman gets as a quarter days pay is not anything like adequate compensation for what they loose in lost business while on shift.
At the moment the Regimentâs PSIs are being trained to take over. Do the maths â regular Sgts and SSgts or TA Signalmen â who costs more?