DEFENCE STAFF STRIKE OUT

01-03-2007

Ministry of Defence staff in the Midlands and around the country took to the picket lines yesterday in protest at pay offer which has been imposed by the government. Edward Cameron wonder whether workers in key jobs should be able to enjoythe luxury of a strike.

Just a few dozen out of 6,000 Ministry of Defence staff were on duty yesterday as part of a national strike against a below-inflation pay rise.

Picket lines organised by Prospect trade union were on guard outside the Defence Storage and Distribution Agency in Bicester and Stafford, Defence Estates in Sutton Coldfield and other MOD sites.

Their action is part of a national strike by MOD professional staff against a two-year, pay offer of 2.5 per cent. The increase is six months overdue from the August 2006 pay date and is being imposed on staff on the day of the strike.

Because of the sensitive roles of many of its members, the union wrote to Defence Secretary Des Browne offering to exempt staff in key safety or operational roles from the action. MOD has identified a list of 49 staff who by agreement with Prospect worked normally yesterday so as ‘not to jeopardise essential support functions'.

Nationally, the action will hit engineering, technical and logistics work at naval bases, RAF stations, maintenance workshops, telecommunications facilities, MOD Main Building in Whitehall, overseas facilities, training establishments, facilities management, stores depots, the Defence Procurement Agency, Defence Logistics Organisation and intelligence services.

Specialists taking action across the Midlands include engineers, supervisors, stores officers, and other logistics staff. Nationwide, 9,000 specialists are covered by the offer.

Prospect National Secretary Steve Jary said: “For years our members have worked at immmense personal cost to deliver the vital support without which the front line cannot function. Now MOD wants to reward them with a below inflation pay offer stretching across two years.

“That is just not good enough. Our members' skills command higher salaries in the private sector and they are fed up with their loyalty being exploited by the government in this cynical manner. If ministers don't watch out, professionals will vote with their feet and walk out on MOD for good, doing lasting damage to the operational capacity of Britain's armed forces.”

Prospect has told MOD it is ready to re-open negotiations on the 2006-07 offer at any time but that if there is no movement from the department it will ballot again on further industrial action.

One of those age-old disputes about strike-action forms in my mind. I have long considered whether I can agree with people going on strike if their role is one that prevents loss of life.

Our army is currently stretched thinly, deployed around the world. It's certainly easy to sympathise with the support staff and their plight over pay. But what happens if due to a day of missing intelligence services, poorly maintained stores and no-one manning the communications we find our army grinds to a halt?

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