Fair Deal in Defence

Cuts cost

Our union knows from our extensive campaigning that defence cuts cost. We have seen posts cut but their outputs remain. We see members leave the department but their workload passed onto others and we have witnessed sites closing but their projects simply moved to a remaining site.

The time has come for those of us who remain – the survivors – to campaign and fight for the best possible terms and conditions as we try and give the best possible support to the front line.

Fair Deal

The ‘Fair Deal’ campaign is seeking to ensure that civilian defence workers are treated properly from now on. The campaign objectives are -

 

·       To give job security for all civilian defence workers. To give the best support to the front line, we need a period of certainty for defence workers and that means no imposed redundancies or relocations.

·       Where the trade unions have identified savings e.g. £100n in FATS contract, these savings must be offset against headcount reductions.

·       The UK Living wage (£7.20 per hour outside London and £8.30 in London) is paid to all civilian defence workers and that the department sets a precedent and doesn’t introduce any form of regional pay as it recognises all civilian defence workers work towards giving best possible support to the front line.

·       To stop the ideological move to privatise defence services and review all previous transfers of work including all the defence PFI contracts that we are tied into for 30 or 40 years..

·       To get the proper level of consultation on all aspects of activities that affect the working lives of staff. The appropriate level of facility time should be provided for this.

·       Agreement with the department that members will not work out of grade or cover work from vacant posts.

·       Equality of opportunity and a respect for diversity in all MoD activities.

·       The above principles to be replicated across private sector areas of defence.

Difficult Period

SDSR proposed the MoD will be at a steady state position by 2020. In the eight year period till then, our unions’ members will be asked to deliver this steady state with vastly less numbers than were in the department at the time of the SDSR announcement in October 2010. It is not too much to ask that we are treated fairly and equitably as we try to get through this very difficult period.