A series of parliamentary written questions posed on 4th October 2024 by MPs Caroline Dinenage and Jayne Kirkham have spotlighted ongoing concerns about the pay, recruitment, and retention of personnel in the Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA).
The Ministry of Defence (MOD), represented by Parliamentary Under-Secretary Al Carns, responded to these inquiries, focusing on efforts to resolve a pay dispute and introduce new initiatives aimed at bolstering recruitment.
Caroline Dinenage, the Conservative MP for Gosport, asked two specific questions regarding the RFA pay structure and related issues:
- “To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 30 August 2024 to Question 3668 on Royal Fleet Auxiliary: Pay, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of providing pay rises to the Royal Fleet Auxiliary that are in line with those offered to (a) Royal Navy personnel and (b) civil servants.”
- “To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 30 August 2024 to Question 3668 on Royal Fleet Auxiliary: Pay, when his Department next plans to review the pay structures of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary.”
In response, Al Carns reiterated the MOD’s commitment to resolving the ongoing pay dispute with the Maritime Trade Unions (MTUs). He stated: “The Royal Fleet Auxiliary are highly valued, specialist personnel. We are committed to listening to their concerns and keeping a continued dialogue to address the issues they have raised.”
He further highlighted planned recruitment and retention initiatives, including enhanced lateral entry routes and measures to improve occupational health and working flexibility within the RFA.
Jayne Kirkham, Labour MP for Truro and Falmouth, also raised concerns about RFA staffing:
- “To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to improve (a) recruitment and (b) retention at the Royal Fleet Auxiliary.”
Responding to Kirkham’s question, Carns noted that the MOD is committed to improving conditions within the RFA to attract and retain personnel. He mentioned the RFA’s importance as “the largest employer of British non-military seafarers” and outlined efforts to support the RFA’s recruitment and retention through new initiatives.
These parliamentary questions come amid a period of industrial action within the RFA as members of the RMT and Nautilus unions continue to press for better pay conditions following unsatisfactory negotiation outcomes.
These strikes have led to operational disruptions, including delays in ship refits and challenges in maintaining support for Royal Navy activities.
Is commitment to a “continued dialogue to address the issues” of any comfort to anyone?
Well to be fair unless the issues are all understood the risk is that any issue will fall short.
The obvious answer on pay is to bring the RFA onto the same basis as the RN and give them a one off pay adjustment and going forward review thier pay in exactly the same way as the RN remembering that they would be barred from striking etc.
I think the issues are well understood.
It is the mechanics of creating a new heading structure outside the civil service.
Otherwise the only solution is to give massive raises to all of those grades which can’t happen.
I can think of other mechanisms. There’s danger pay, for example increase the income tax personal allowances for the military, the RFA and civilian medics who might be asked to serve with the military in dangerous situations. There’s also no-strike agreement for extra pay, which I’m pretty sure will have a precedent somewhere but seems the opposite of the way a Labour government thinks. I just don’t believe there’s a will.
Why can’t raises happen? Supply and demand economics. A seafarer sacrifices two thirds of his life at sea compared to a civil servant in an office for one third of their working week days for a few hours… forces personnel traditionally got other renumeration not accessible to merchant seafarers like assistence or free housing too.
The issue is easily understandable, 4 or 5 month trips, for pay less then 2 week trips working for ferries, and far less then 1 or 2 month trips with over companies.
RFA was the largest employer of UK seafarers, so many have left I am certain cruise industry and ferry companies have far overtaken it. But no longer is.