>Soldiers should not be made to give up Christmas to cover for striking NHS workers who earn more than them, senior military figures have told ministers.
>The Government is set to rely on hundreds of Armed Forces personnel to stand in for Border Force officers at airports during eight days of strikes this December, and potentially to cover for ambulance drivers and firefighters as well.
>But The Telegraph has been told that the military believes it is “not right” for soldiers, who are banned by law from striking themselves, to replace striking public sector workers over the festive season.
>Senior members of the Armed Forces are understood to have also warned ministers that the plan risks weakening the “operational capability” of the military to respond to threats.
>One senior defence source said: “You’ve only got to look at a private soldier on £22,000 a year and whose pay scales have not kept up with inflation for the last decade having to give up Christmas, or come straight off operations, to cover for people who want 19 per cent and are already paid in excess of what he or she would be, and it’s just not right.
>“We’ve got to the stage now where the Government’s first lever it reaches for every time there is any difficulty, whether it’s floods, strikes, all the rest of it, is the Armed Forces, as opposed to it being the last resort.”
>Earlier this week, the Government announced that 2,000 military personnel and volunteers were undergoing training to stand in to support a range of services, including Border Force officers at airports.
>More troops could be sent out to drive ambulances during an NHS strike on Dec 21, although an official request has not yet been made. Servicemen could also serve as firefighters if members of the Fire Brigades Union back industrial action.
>One military source said that Ben Wallace, the Defence Secretary, shared concerns that the Armed Forces are seen as a “free good” and had raised the issue on Tuesday at Cabinet. However, a spokesman for Mr Wallace insisted this was not the case.
>It came as Border Force staff announced eight days of strikes at Britain’s largest airports from Dec 23, leaving Christmas travellers facing holiday flight delays.
>The Public and Commercial Services union will mount the action at Heathrow, Gatwick, Manchester, Birmingham, Glasgow and Cardiff airports, as well as Newhaven port.
>Meanwhile, Rishi Sunak threatened to ban ambulance drivers and other emergency workers from striking as part of “tough” new laws to tackle a wave of public sector strikes.
>Ministers are also looking at a new legal minimum level of service that the NHS and other public services must provide during strikes, as well as considering a ban on coordinated strikes between public sector unions.
>On Wednesday night, Tory MPs urged the Prime Minister to go further – saying the Government needed to act with more “urgency”.
>Sir Christopher Chope said: “The trouble is that it’s not as though all this has bubbled up at the last minute. We have known it’s in the offing. It’s all very well talking tough, but people need to be protected now.
>”It is essentially an issue about power. And preventing yourself as the Government from being held to ransom.”
>In another sign of the damage the strikes may cause, on Wednesday Britain’s biggest power station, Drax, was forced to promise it would be able to keep the lights on during next week’s rail strikes – despite warnings that deliveries of fuel to keep it running would be significantly disrupted.
>Meanwhile, the Labour Party said it would rip up strike laws if it comes to power – making it easier for unions to take industrial action.
>The Telegraph understands there is tension in the military at the idea that soldiers who may have been due to enjoy their Christmas break will be made to cover striking NHS workers.
>Military figures stressed it was hypocritical to “use public servants who received one of the smallest pay awards and legally can’t strike and have no independent advocate body, to cover for public servants who do”.
>One said: “The Government’s answer when things get sticky is to use the Armed Forces in non-traditional roles, but when it rolls around to pay reviews it never seems to be reflected.”
>The standard wage for a soldier at the rank of Private is £21,424, compared with £27,055 for a paramedic with less than two years’ experience.
>The source cautioned that while it was “unreasonable to say you can’t use soldiers when the country needs them”, future demands must take into account the Army’s size. The force is due to be cut by 10,000 troops.
>“If you do want the Army for that, then you’ll need a bigger Army,” said the source.
By the 24th the Unions will be raping puppies and eating babies, just you wait 😜
This seems more about getting the military a pay rise than anything else. And in PR terms, sacrificing a Christmas break for the national benefit may just be a winner when the next budget rolls around.
The Unions are being so bloody irresponsible when global events are beyond the control of any government. What has happened since 2019 has been beyond imagination. So much in a short space of time. Holding the public to ransom is not worthy of reward. It is not just workers that are suffering. It is the whole age spectrum.
We covered the for the fire brigade in the early 2000’s when they went on strike for more money. In our WW2 era green goddesses after a days training on about half their pay. It was a mash up of dad’s army and last of the summer wine. The threat of that again should be enough to get the cheque books out.
I’m not surprised the army are pissed off but saying they are paid less when they get cheap food and lodging, their pension paid, free degrees, driving lessons, gyms and all the other stuff is a bit misleading.
What’s the point in having workers that can’t strike if you’re not going to force them to work?
Rather they be doing that, than doing some Tory donors’ dirty work in the world.
Well tough shit. Not everybody can take Christmas off. If they don’t like the army, nobody conscripted them and they can leave whenever they want.
Nurses get paid crap wages as do the army personnel. How about we stop being angry with the strikers and start being angry at the POS government and opposition MPs who have had a 28% pay rise since 2010. Not interested in its done by independent board nonsense either MPs just hide behind that while they gleefully accept the rise.
Fire Brigade personnel due to inflation have had an 12% pay decrease since 2010.
Police personnel due to inflation have had an 20% pay decrease since 2010.
Nurses due to inflation have had an 8% pay decrease since 2010.
I’m not sure about the military. But everyone is getting pay cuts except the MPs who have wasted our taxpayers money on frivolous things. We are in this mess because of them. Not because of Nurses, Railworkers, UC Claimants, Pensioners, Putin or whatever excuses they want to use to blame their mess on us.
Pitting the poorly paid against each other to distract from who is hoarding all of the wealth. Clap for nurses, now jeer at them. Thanks for all your help through covid, now get down the foodbank.
The mental gymnastics in saying this but not pointing out the governments faults is astounding.
To cover striking workers that **would have been giving-up their Christmas**, I wonder how many people will think that far.
Out of sight, out of mind I guess. Some people don’t consider all of the people who will be working on Christmas Day and Boxing Day. Doctors, nurses, carers, police, security guards, paramedics, fire service, utility company workers, hotel and restaurant staff, cleaners, volunteers like RNLI, and of course vicars.
Who knew the armed forces could be put to work at any given moment
Maybe the army should strike too? Or not join the army if you don’t want to work Christmas?
I joined the Met and knew that it involves working any day I’m needed. Is it not the same for them?
Getting sent to the Middle East to kill innocent civilians: sign me up
Getting sent to hospitals in the UK to help our own citizens: no thanks
Obvious attempt to frame the strikes as being about public sector workers vs the armed services.
“Who’s side are you on? Our brave boys and girls in the army, or striking public sector workers?”.
Whether or not the army should be covering for strikers, and whether pay rates in the army are fair, is an entirely separate question from whether or not you support the public sector strikers.
It’s possible to sympathise with both sectors, or indeed neither.
Im sure thats really going to help there alredy massively struggling recruitment of new personnel. Can’t wait till we have no defence force either!
What all of a sudden serving their country comes with conditions?
It’s almost like everyone doesn’t get paid enough.
Our “betters” could solve that problem. Or they could manufacture more division. Hmmm I wonder what they’ll choose?
Although they seem fine paying soldiers just above the minimum wage,
I don’t see how the pitting the army against the nurses works as an angle. I suppose they’re trying to play top trumps and betting that troopfucking will win out over COVID heroes rhetoric. Just looking at it without spin, it seems like one underpaid and mismanaged public service being fucked over to the point of striking, and the government fucking over another rather than negotiate. It seems pretty clear who share common interests in all this, and it’s not the army and the government.
The majority of Barracks soldiers are being paid for working a 3.5 day week what with late starts on a Monday, sports afternoons on a Wednesday and lunchtime finish on a Friday. All weekends off unless on tour or the occasional exercise.
Also, since when has it become common British parlance to call the army, the military? Surely that encompasses the navy and air force?
If only the brass would direct their ire where it belongs. The forces are still painfully (and detrimentally) right-wing.
25 comments
>Soldiers should not be made to give up Christmas to cover for striking NHS workers who earn more than them, senior military figures have told ministers.
>The Government is set to rely on hundreds of Armed Forces personnel to stand in for Border Force officers at airports during eight days of strikes this December, and potentially to cover for ambulance drivers and firefighters as well.
>But The Telegraph has been told that the military believes it is “not right” for soldiers, who are banned by law from striking themselves, to replace striking public sector workers over the festive season.
>Senior members of the Armed Forces are understood to have also warned ministers that the plan risks weakening the “operational capability” of the military to respond to threats.
>One senior defence source said: “You’ve only got to look at a private soldier on £22,000 a year and whose pay scales have not kept up with inflation for the last decade having to give up Christmas, or come straight off operations, to cover for people who want 19 per cent and are already paid in excess of what he or she would be, and it’s just not right.
>“We’ve got to the stage now where the Government’s first lever it reaches for every time there is any difficulty, whether it’s floods, strikes, all the rest of it, is the Armed Forces, as opposed to it being the last resort.”
>Earlier this week, the Government announced that 2,000 military personnel and volunteers were undergoing training to stand in to support a range of services, including Border Force officers at airports.
>More troops could be sent out to drive ambulances during an NHS strike on Dec 21, although an official request has not yet been made. Servicemen could also serve as firefighters if members of the Fire Brigades Union back industrial action.
>One military source said that Ben Wallace, the Defence Secretary, shared concerns that the Armed Forces are seen as a “free good” and had raised the issue on Tuesday at Cabinet. However, a spokesman for Mr Wallace insisted this was not the case.
>It came as Border Force staff announced eight days of strikes at Britain’s largest airports from Dec 23, leaving Christmas travellers facing holiday flight delays.
>The Public and Commercial Services union will mount the action at Heathrow, Gatwick, Manchester, Birmingham, Glasgow and Cardiff airports, as well as Newhaven port.
>Meanwhile, Rishi Sunak threatened to ban ambulance drivers and other emergency workers from striking as part of “tough” new laws to tackle a wave of public sector strikes.
>Ministers are also looking at a new legal minimum level of service that the NHS and other public services must provide during strikes, as well as considering a ban on coordinated strikes between public sector unions.
>On Wednesday night, Tory MPs urged the Prime Minister to go further – saying the Government needed to act with more “urgency”.
>Sir Christopher Chope said: “The trouble is that it’s not as though all this has bubbled up at the last minute. We have known it’s in the offing. It’s all very well talking tough, but people need to be protected now.
>”It is essentially an issue about power. And preventing yourself as the Government from being held to ransom.”
>In another sign of the damage the strikes may cause, on Wednesday Britain’s biggest power station, Drax, was forced to promise it would be able to keep the lights on during next week’s rail strikes – despite warnings that deliveries of fuel to keep it running would be significantly disrupted.
>Meanwhile, the Labour Party said it would rip up strike laws if it comes to power – making it easier for unions to take industrial action.
>The Telegraph understands there is tension in the military at the idea that soldiers who may have been due to enjoy their Christmas break will be made to cover striking NHS workers.
>Military figures stressed it was hypocritical to “use public servants who received one of the smallest pay awards and legally can’t strike and have no independent advocate body, to cover for public servants who do”.
>One said: “The Government’s answer when things get sticky is to use the Armed Forces in non-traditional roles, but when it rolls around to pay reviews it never seems to be reflected.”
>The standard wage for a soldier at the rank of Private is £21,424, compared with £27,055 for a paramedic with less than two years’ experience.
>The source cautioned that while it was “unreasonable to say you can’t use soldiers when the country needs them”, future demands must take into account the Army’s size. The force is due to be cut by 10,000 troops.
>“If you do want the Army for that, then you’ll need a bigger Army,” said the source.
By the 24th the Unions will be raping puppies and eating babies, just you wait 😜
This seems more about getting the military a pay rise than anything else. And in PR terms, sacrificing a Christmas break for the national benefit may just be a winner when the next budget rolls around.
The Unions are being so bloody irresponsible when global events are beyond the control of any government. What has happened since 2019 has been beyond imagination. So much in a short space of time. Holding the public to ransom is not worthy of reward. It is not just workers that are suffering. It is the whole age spectrum.
We covered the for the fire brigade in the early 2000’s when they went on strike for more money. In our WW2 era green goddesses after a days training on about half their pay. It was a mash up of dad’s army and last of the summer wine. The threat of that again should be enough to get the cheque books out.
I’m not surprised the army are pissed off but saying they are paid less when they get cheap food and lodging, their pension paid, free degrees, driving lessons, gyms and all the other stuff is a bit misleading.
What’s the point in having workers that can’t strike if you’re not going to force them to work?
Rather they be doing that, than doing some Tory donors’ dirty work in the world.
Well tough shit. Not everybody can take Christmas off. If they don’t like the army, nobody conscripted them and they can leave whenever they want.
Nurses get paid crap wages as do the army personnel. How about we stop being angry with the strikers and start being angry at the POS government and opposition MPs who have had a 28% pay rise since 2010. Not interested in its done by independent board nonsense either MPs just hide behind that while they gleefully accept the rise.
Fire Brigade personnel due to inflation have had an 12% pay decrease since 2010.
Police personnel due to inflation have had an 20% pay decrease since 2010.
Nurses due to inflation have had an 8% pay decrease since 2010.
I’m not sure about the military. But everyone is getting pay cuts except the MPs who have wasted our taxpayers money on frivolous things. We are in this mess because of them. Not because of Nurses, Railworkers, UC Claimants, Pensioners, Putin or whatever excuses they want to use to blame their mess on us.
Pitting the poorly paid against each other to distract from who is hoarding all of the wealth. Clap for nurses, now jeer at them. Thanks for all your help through covid, now get down the foodbank.
The mental gymnastics in saying this but not pointing out the governments faults is astounding.
To cover striking workers that **would have been giving-up their Christmas**, I wonder how many people will think that far.
Out of sight, out of mind I guess. Some people don’t consider all of the people who will be working on Christmas Day and Boxing Day. Doctors, nurses, carers, police, security guards, paramedics, fire service, utility company workers, hotel and restaurant staff, cleaners, volunteers like RNLI, and of course vicars.
Who knew the armed forces could be put to work at any given moment
Maybe the army should strike too? Or not join the army if you don’t want to work Christmas?
I joined the Met and knew that it involves working any day I’m needed. Is it not the same for them?
Getting sent to the Middle East to kill innocent civilians: sign me up
Getting sent to hospitals in the UK to help our own citizens: no thanks
Obvious attempt to frame the strikes as being about public sector workers vs the armed services.
“Who’s side are you on? Our brave boys and girls in the army, or striking public sector workers?”.
Whether or not the army should be covering for strikers, and whether pay rates in the army are fair, is an entirely separate question from whether or not you support the public sector strikers.
It’s possible to sympathise with both sectors, or indeed neither.
Im sure thats really going to help there alredy massively struggling recruitment of new personnel. Can’t wait till we have no defence force either!
What all of a sudden serving their country comes with conditions?
It’s almost like everyone doesn’t get paid enough.
Our “betters” could solve that problem. Or they could manufacture more division. Hmmm I wonder what they’ll choose?
Although they seem fine paying soldiers just above the minimum wage,
I don’t see how the pitting the army against the nurses works as an angle. I suppose they’re trying to play top trumps and betting that troopfucking will win out over COVID heroes rhetoric. Just looking at it without spin, it seems like one underpaid and mismanaged public service being fucked over to the point of striking, and the government fucking over another rather than negotiate. It seems pretty clear who share common interests in all this, and it’s not the army and the government.
The majority of Barracks soldiers are being paid for working a 3.5 day week what with late starts on a Monday, sports afternoons on a Wednesday and lunchtime finish on a Friday. All weekends off unless on tour or the occasional exercise.
Also, since when has it become common British parlance to call the army, the military? Surely that encompasses the navy and air force?
If only the brass would direct their ire where it belongs. The forces are still painfully (and detrimentally) right-wing.