Demands for troops to fill in for striking workers amid rising discontent over their own living conditions risks putting off recruits, military bosses are warned
In the letter, a serving officer describes his life in an army house. The heating is broken and the water tank could freeze within days. He wears a coat inside and is worried that the pile of Christmas presents for family will be destroyed by leaks.
“I know of a handful of military houses in the local area that have flooded in the last week and even more with currently no heating,” he writes in the note to his MP.
Similar stories are shared most days on social media or in WhatsApp groups. Some parents describe their children’s health being put at risk by damp and mould growing up the walls.
As members of the armed forces stand in for striking paramedics from this week, troops are themselves facing the worst pay and conditions in living memory. Unlike most public sector workers, it is illegal for them to strike or unionise.
“We all know what our job is and what we are expected to sacrifice,” one serving soldier said. “But to lose a Christmas but having to cover for strikes because there is a lack of movement between the government and the unions is just shameful.”
Another said: “[We’re] recovering our capabilities from Covid, trying to expand and innovate future capabilities despite a lack of funding, continuing with operational tasks . . . covering strikes; all the while inflation is breaking us. Housing and infrastructure is appalling, promotion is not a guarantee.”
The working conditions are leading some to consider leaving.
According to the latest available Ministry of Defence data, there was a 4.7 per cent drop in people joining the regular armed forces in 2021 compared with the previous year. In the same period, the number of people who had left increased by 11.5 per cent.
The mounting discontent comes as the number of Maca applications — government requests for the armed forces to step in to support public services under the Civil Contingencies Act — has increased. There were 264 in the last financial year, up from 120 in the 2018-19.
“At the moment morale for everyone is low,” one soldier said. “We have soldiers and their families living in quarters which are in absolute disrepair; ceilings falling through, some with no heating and hot water or with mould that is impacting the health of the occupants.”
The MoD has five accommodation contracts — a single national management contract, and maintenance contracts awarded to various providers around the country. The companies provide homes for families and accommodation for those living alone.
Those reporting problems say they often have to spend hours on the phone to get help. Appointments are made without an engineer ever turning up, others say.
A spokesman for the MoD said the department cared “deeply” about personnel and that financial support had been given. Some of the accommodation problems experienced had been “unacceptable”, the spokesman said, and a process is under way to resolve complaints.
Some inside the armed forces claimed that some soldiers had used food banks or were asking superiors for welfare grants to pay for food.
A military spouse, who wished to remain anonymous, said: “Many of the soldiers are afraid to speak up and reach out to external organisations to get help because of a fear of backlash from the chain of command. This also makes it hard to organise and demand change at a national level — you have to understand that it’s simply against the law for these men and women to strike for better conditions.”
While there is always some stoic acceptance of the role they play in stepping in to support civilian services, the number of such requests has been growing.
During the pandemic the armed forces were relied on more than at any other time in recent memory, responding to 397 Covid-related requests as well as 90 others in 2020-21.
Some fear that the increasing demand for soldiers to step in could put off potential recruits.
New joiners were often sold messages such as “be the best” or “no ordinary job”, one person said. This had transformed into: “Go check passports or drive ambulances over your Christmas break.”
Poor conditions make these tasks harder to put up with, said Ian Liles, a retired brigadier. “Covering for strikes over the Christmas period . . . it’s very unpleasant, but that’s part of the job,” he said. “It is wrong, however, that the private soldier who is one of the lowest paid public workers has to stand in there for Christmas for people that are earning almost twice as much as him, and they want a 10-15 per cent pay increase.”
Diane Allen, a retired army officer, is often contacted by those asking for help. She said that while military personnel understand that covering strikes can be part of their job, “what they won’t expect is that whilst they’re out working, their families are at home with no heating”.
She added: “The MoD and government may not care now at ruining the troops’ Christmas. But they may next year when they have to pay retention bonuses to keep troops in key posts when they ask to sign off.”
This year, satisfaction with the rate of basic pay fell for the first time in four years, according to the armed forces continuous attitude survey.
Army personnel will receive a 3.75 per cent increase in base pay for the 2022-23 financial year, meaning they have had a real-terms pay cut in seven out of the past 11 years.
The starting salary for service personnel after training is £21,424, compared with £25,747 for a paramedic, £27,055 for a nurse, and £28,730 for a trainee firefighter at London Fire Brigade.
Historically, many have been willing to accept lower pay in return for a good benefits package, including military housing — but as the standard has fallen, so has the appeal.
Last year a National Audit Office report into single-living accommodation, designed for soldiers who live alone, exposed “decades of under-investment” and “problems with heating and hot water”. The number of people living in grade four accommodation — the lowest rated — grew year-on-year for the previous four years, data showed.
For married service personnel there are 47,900 family accommodation properties in the UK. Almost 14,000 of those are awaiting repair.
A new fragmented system in which different companies are responsible for logging and carrying out repairs has prompted a flood of complaints. Those trying to resolve housing problems say the system is frequently chaotic.
One parent said: “For months our baby was subjected to unacceptable levels of moisture and toxic mould in a house which was deemed fit to live in by policy. Our baby developed a continuous cough which we can only assume was linked to the increased level of moisture recorded in our house.”
Another said: “I’m sleeping under three duvets in full clothes and walking around again like a lunatic at 7am with a coat, hat and gloves on to try and get my five-year-old disabled son fed and ready for school.”
One housing company described how the cold weather had led to more calls and longer waits. More staff have been brought in to reduce wait times, a spokesman said.
Sammy Davies, 46, lives in Royal Navy accommodation in Portsmouth. At the start of 2020 her bathroom developed a leak. It took 18 months for it to be replaced — and she still has a hole in her ceiling.
For Edward Stringer, a retired RAF air marshal, resolving housing problems is the key to preventing an exodus. “If you value people, and you want to keep them, you would look after their housing,” he said.
John Healey, the shadow defence secretary, said the armed forces were “too often” having to “bail out Conservative ministers”. He said: “Increased domestic demands raise real concerns at a time when the defence secretary presses ahead with further cuts to the army and threats to the UK are increasing. Personnel also face real-terms pay cuts and shocking housing conditions that fall well beneath the standards they deserve.”
A Ministry of Defence spokesman said: “We care deeply about our people throughout their service and beyond. They make remarkable sacrifices, including their support to our public services following industrial action, and we are committed to helping them in different areas of their lives.
“This includes offering the biggest pay increase in 20 years, freezing daily food costs, providing generous accommodation subsidies and saving up to £3,000 per child per year by extending wraparound childcare.
“It is unacceptable that some of our personnel and their families are not receiving the level of accommodation services that they deserve. An update is being provided to service families on the actions under way to resolve these issues.”
Practically free accommodation and a nurse/paramedic requires a degree….
join the army, serve a government that cant stand your existence, and kills more of your countrymen than the taliban with needless malicious negligence.
have injuries you get from army life declared not service related by tossifers laughing down the phone at you.
Would maybe help if almost all of them didn’t vote Tory!
What are they expecting exactly…? If you want luxury, go to school, dont sign up to be a squaddie
Some of you lot are utterly amazing. The accommodation isn’t ‘free’. In part it’s mostly really run down accommodation which isn’t of industry standard. It comes as part of the service. Let’s not forget, MOD SP do not get overtime, TOIL or anything like that and yet are expected to jump in when NHS demand a pay rise. Half of me kinda wants a conflict on our shores and see how many of you then wish to condemn SP or backtrack into your little holes
Damn, conditions sound so bad you should go on strike
[removed]
This has always been the case yet they are surprised when it happens
So a key difference between Thatcher’s strike breaking strategy and the current lot is that Thatcher knew she needed the police and army well-fed and content. This lot are even too stupid to maintain the services on which they rely to keep the population in line properly.
A scandal we treat our armed service personnel in this manner.. not to mention the disgraceful way many veterans are left on the streets destitute
They are in a similar position as NHS staff stuck working for a single employer which takes advantage of any goodwill shown by staff to continually underpay, underdeliver and treat with total contempt
Many soldiers grew up in worse conditions in working class slums.
12 comments
Author: Hannah Al-Othman and Jack Clover
Demands for troops to fill in for striking workers amid rising discontent over their own living conditions risks putting off recruits, military bosses are warned
In the letter, a serving officer describes his life in an army house. The heating is broken and the water tank could freeze within days. He wears a coat inside and is worried that the pile of Christmas presents for family will be destroyed by leaks.
“I know of a handful of military houses in the local area that have flooded in the last week and even more with currently no heating,” he writes in the note to his MP.
Similar stories are shared most days on social media or in WhatsApp groups. Some parents describe their children’s health being put at risk by damp and mould growing up the walls.
As members of the armed forces stand in for striking paramedics from this week, troops are themselves facing the worst pay and conditions in living memory. Unlike most public sector workers, it is illegal for them to strike or unionise.
“We all know what our job is and what we are expected to sacrifice,” one serving soldier said. “But to lose a Christmas but having to cover for strikes because there is a lack of movement between the government and the unions is just shameful.”
Another said: “[We’re] recovering our capabilities from Covid, trying to expand and innovate future capabilities despite a lack of funding, continuing with operational tasks . . . covering strikes; all the while inflation is breaking us. Housing and infrastructure is appalling, promotion is not a guarantee.”
The working conditions are leading some to consider leaving.
According to the latest available Ministry of Defence data, there was a 4.7 per cent drop in people joining the regular armed forces in 2021 compared with the previous year. In the same period, the number of people who had left increased by 11.5 per cent.
The mounting discontent comes as the number of Maca applications — government requests for the armed forces to step in to support public services under the Civil Contingencies Act — has increased. There were 264 in the last financial year, up from 120 in the 2018-19.
“At the moment morale for everyone is low,” one soldier said. “We have soldiers and their families living in quarters which are in absolute disrepair; ceilings falling through, some with no heating and hot water or with mould that is impacting the health of the occupants.”
The MoD has five accommodation contracts — a single national management contract, and maintenance contracts awarded to various providers around the country. The companies provide homes for families and accommodation for those living alone.
Those reporting problems say they often have to spend hours on the phone to get help. Appointments are made without an engineer ever turning up, others say.
A spokesman for the MoD said the department cared “deeply” about personnel and that financial support had been given. Some of the accommodation problems experienced had been “unacceptable”, the spokesman said, and a process is under way to resolve complaints.
Some inside the armed forces claimed that some soldiers had used food banks or were asking superiors for welfare grants to pay for food.
A military spouse, who wished to remain anonymous, said: “Many of the soldiers are afraid to speak up and reach out to external organisations to get help because of a fear of backlash from the chain of command. This also makes it hard to organise and demand change at a national level — you have to understand that it’s simply against the law for these men and women to strike for better conditions.”
While there is always some stoic acceptance of the role they play in stepping in to support civilian services, the number of such requests has been growing.
During the pandemic the armed forces were relied on more than at any other time in recent memory, responding to 397 Covid-related requests as well as 90 others in 2020-21.
Some fear that the increasing demand for soldiers to step in could put off potential recruits.
New joiners were often sold messages such as “be the best” or “no ordinary job”, one person said. This had transformed into: “Go check passports or drive ambulances over your Christmas break.”
Poor conditions make these tasks harder to put up with, said Ian Liles, a retired brigadier. “Covering for strikes over the Christmas period . . . it’s very unpleasant, but that’s part of the job,” he said. “It is wrong, however, that the private soldier who is one of the lowest paid public workers has to stand in there for Christmas for people that are earning almost twice as much as him, and they want a 10-15 per cent pay increase.”
Diane Allen, a retired army officer, is often contacted by those asking for help. She said that while military personnel understand that covering strikes can be part of their job, “what they won’t expect is that whilst they’re out working, their families are at home with no heating”.
She added: “The MoD and government may not care now at ruining the troops’ Christmas. But they may next year when they have to pay retention bonuses to keep troops in key posts when they ask to sign off.”
This year, satisfaction with the rate of basic pay fell for the first time in four years, according to the armed forces continuous attitude survey.
Army personnel will receive a 3.75 per cent increase in base pay for the 2022-23 financial year, meaning they have had a real-terms pay cut in seven out of the past 11 years.
The starting salary for service personnel after training is £21,424, compared with £25,747 for a paramedic, £27,055 for a nurse, and £28,730 for a trainee firefighter at London Fire Brigade.
Historically, many have been willing to accept lower pay in return for a good benefits package, including military housing — but as the standard has fallen, so has the appeal.
Last year a National Audit Office report into single-living accommodation, designed for soldiers who live alone, exposed “decades of under-investment” and “problems with heating and hot water”. The number of people living in grade four accommodation — the lowest rated — grew year-on-year for the previous four years, data showed.
For married service personnel there are 47,900 family accommodation properties in the UK. Almost 14,000 of those are awaiting repair.
A new fragmented system in which different companies are responsible for logging and carrying out repairs has prompted a flood of complaints. Those trying to resolve housing problems say the system is frequently chaotic.
One parent said: “For months our baby was subjected to unacceptable levels of moisture and toxic mould in a house which was deemed fit to live in by policy. Our baby developed a continuous cough which we can only assume was linked to the increased level of moisture recorded in our house.”
Another said: “I’m sleeping under three duvets in full clothes and walking around again like a lunatic at 7am with a coat, hat and gloves on to try and get my five-year-old disabled son fed and ready for school.”
One housing company described how the cold weather had led to more calls and longer waits. More staff have been brought in to reduce wait times, a spokesman said.
Sammy Davies, 46, lives in Royal Navy accommodation in Portsmouth. At the start of 2020 her bathroom developed a leak. It took 18 months for it to be replaced — and she still has a hole in her ceiling.
For Edward Stringer, a retired RAF air marshal, resolving housing problems is the key to preventing an exodus. “If you value people, and you want to keep them, you would look after their housing,” he said.
John Healey, the shadow defence secretary, said the armed forces were “too often” having to “bail out Conservative ministers”. He said: “Increased domestic demands raise real concerns at a time when the defence secretary presses ahead with further cuts to the army and threats to the UK are increasing. Personnel also face real-terms pay cuts and shocking housing conditions that fall well beneath the standards they deserve.”
A Ministry of Defence spokesman said: “We care deeply about our people throughout their service and beyond. They make remarkable sacrifices, including their support to our public services following industrial action, and we are committed to helping them in different areas of their lives.
“This includes offering the biggest pay increase in 20 years, freezing daily food costs, providing generous accommodation subsidies and saving up to £3,000 per child per year by extending wraparound childcare.
“It is unacceptable that some of our personnel and their families are not receiving the level of accommodation services that they deserve. An update is being provided to service families on the actions under way to resolve these issues.”
Practically free accommodation and a nurse/paramedic requires a degree….
join the army, serve a government that cant stand your existence, and kills more of your countrymen than the taliban with needless malicious negligence.
have injuries you get from army life declared not service related by tossifers laughing down the phone at you.
Would maybe help if almost all of them didn’t vote Tory!
What are they expecting exactly…? If you want luxury, go to school, dont sign up to be a squaddie
Some of you lot are utterly amazing. The accommodation isn’t ‘free’. In part it’s mostly really run down accommodation which isn’t of industry standard. It comes as part of the service. Let’s not forget, MOD SP do not get overtime, TOIL or anything like that and yet are expected to jump in when NHS demand a pay rise. Half of me kinda wants a conflict on our shores and see how many of you then wish to condemn SP or backtrack into your little holes
Damn, conditions sound so bad you should go on strike
[removed]
This has always been the case yet they are surprised when it happens
So a key difference between Thatcher’s strike breaking strategy and the current lot is that Thatcher knew she needed the police and army well-fed and content. This lot are even too stupid to maintain the services on which they rely to keep the population in line properly.
A scandal we treat our armed service personnel in this manner.. not to mention the disgraceful way many veterans are left on the streets destitute
They are in a similar position as NHS staff stuck working for a single employer which takes advantage of any goodwill shown by staff to continually underpay, underdeliver and treat with total contempt
Many soldiers grew up in worse conditions in working class slums.