tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6254362504495980377.post2171834211274654814..comments2024-03-20T12:03:26.126+00:00Comments on Thin Pinstriped Line: Good news can conceal a multitude of elephants - Thoughts on the 2013 Spending Review Announcement Sir Humphreyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08704774192275240783noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6254362504495980377.post-46974601991405750462013-07-10T14:03:30.617+01:002013-07-10T14:03:30.617+01:00It is a great shame that Mr Osbourne in his SR did...It is a great shame that Mr Osbourne in his SR didn't make the more realistic statement "in addition to the pay progression (skill) freeze in announce 2010, it has now been decided to abolish this scheme from 15/16". Now that may hint that the CS loyalty may have pay progression steps over the next 2 years until its abolition (except those at their highest levels) but I would not waste money at 'Paddy Power' on this roll of the dice. The statement smacked the despicable CS are still in receipt of progression pay when we are all in this pay freeze together. A perfect opportunity for detracting the incoming rounds from the political elite by vilifying one sector of the population against the other.<br /><br />Pay progression is now turning into a similar experience as with annual car/house insurance purchase. You will always get a better deal changing companies each year - there is rarely a financial reward or incentive to remain with an existing insurer based on honesty and loyalty. Perhaps remove the word loyalty from the English language as rarely understood. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6254362504495980377.post-60532164992382410102013-07-04T10:42:45.053+01:002013-07-04T10:42:45.053+01:00Our armed forces have been doing grim and deadly w...Our armed forces have been doing grim and deadly work for the last few years, and they deserve our respect, and good pay and conditions, and to be looked after when they need it. But to retain annual pay increments (yes I know not everyone gets these, but enough do) and annual uprating, which they've been getting throughout the public sector pay 'freeze', whilst simultaneously screwing even further downwards the salaries of the mod civil service - and let's just remember, again, that a uniform gets a basic salary double, or more than double, a civil service equivalent, in many cases for sitting in the same office and doing the same job, is just wrong. Sure, it may play well with the jingoistic tendency in this country, with every hater who's responded to this lot's attempts to set private sector workers against the public sector, with service people and their families and friends, but it's still plain wrong. <br /><br />It's about time scales were removed from eyes in relation to just how very much better rewarded the armed services are than their civilian colleagues. It would be nice if a Lt-Col on a basic of 90k, and looking forward to a handsome entirely non-contributory pension, were to take thought about what his C1 grade equivalent on a basic salary, with no extras available, of a lot less than 40k, which has actually been frozen for the last 35 months, and who is paying 6% more out of that towards a pension that's being stolen away, feels about being systematically impoverished by their joint employer. It's time also to bury the canard that an mod civilian's 'package' (whatever that menas) is worse than that of a service equivalent in some respects, but better in others. Those who continue to peddle this untruth may have met a few fast-streamers in a mess somewhere and have formed this comforting impression that civilians do pretty well; for the huge majority of mod civilians, the salary is just insulting when compared to the forces, and there's no financial help available for travel or housing when we change jobs; we're expected to sell up and buy elsewhere (fat chance of being able to afford to move to a London post then), fork out 20% to 25% of our salary on a season ticket to get to work, or to pay rent as well as a mortgage and live on catfood.<br /><br />Just once in my career, I'd like to work in a typical mod environment with service colleagues and not find myself earning less than a sergeant. The chances of that happening look flimsier than ever now. <br /><br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6254362504495980377.post-91884529330280471672013-06-28T10:18:57.647+01:002013-06-28T10:18:57.647+01:00Looks like you made the news...
http://www.defen...Looks like you made the news...<br /><br /><br />http://www.defenseindustrydaily.com/eurocopter-competitions-2013-14-014748/Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6254362504495980377.post-3179796900648221182013-06-27T15:53:30.330+01:002013-06-27T15:53:30.330+01:00One wonders how the future will be shaped based on...One wonders how the future will be shaped based on this and subsequent CSRs. They definitely have to build up the force, especially for the Royal Navy's new (one) carrier. Jeneral28https://www.blogger.com/profile/16332640271661260029noreply@blogger.com