The Ministry of Defence (MOD) has outlined its non-standard occupation groups (NSOG), highlighting unique roles within the department where terms and conditions differ from those of the broader civilian workforce.
The explanation came in response to a written question from Grahame Morris, Labour MP for Easington, regarding these occupational groups.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Defence, Al Carns, explained that NSOGs encompass staff whose pay and conditions are influenced by external public sector comparators, rather than the standard Civil Service grade structure.
Carns clarified:
“Ministry of Defence (MOD) Non-Standard Occupational Groups (NSOG) are groups of staff for whom some aspects of their terms and conditions of service are different from the MOD broader-banded grade structure as aligned to Civil Service standard grades i.e., the core civilian workforce in Defence. NSOG groups are distinguished because they have an analogue link to an outside counterpart and their pay and other terms and conditions of service are either directly linked or influenced by their outside public sector comparator grade.”
The MOD identified five main NSOG categories:
- Ministry of Defence Police
- MOD clinical grades (including NHS Agenda for Change grades, NHS Civilian Consultants, Civilian Medical Practitioners, and Civilian Dental Practitioners)
- Defence Fire Rescue Service grades
- Teaching/educational grades
- Youth and Community grades
These distinctions reflect the department’s alignment of certain roles with external public sector benchmarks.
Personally I feel that all public sector or government lead remuneration packages should be linked to the market forces on wages, if you don’t your either overpaying and wasting taxpayers money or your ending up with a non competitive salary and cannot recruit ( AKA the RFA and social care) or finally you get a brain drain and only end less qualified individuals.
Sometimes (grudgingly), they do, but only when the brain drain is already underway and the damage is done.
After 14 years of hostility towards the civil service and 14 year of little or no pay progression, coupled with huge reductions in certain departments, recruitment is extremely difficult even if its allowed, the civil service is heading for a cliff edge, but thanks to poor press and the last government the public are happy for it to happen.
How hard would it be to add RFA?
Anything with a remote link to Government will not be fit for purpose.
The RFA should definitely be kne of these. No wonder there is industrial action onfoing