Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) officers and crew are set to launch a series of rolling strikes, threatening to cripple Royal Navy operations worldwide, as they escalate their pay dispute.

The strike action is scheduled to begin on 20th September and will coincide with the Labour Party conference, concluding on 22nd September.

The Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) is a civilian organization that provides logistical and operational support to the Royal Navy and Royal Marines.

The RFA is made up of highly trained civilian seafarers who are educated to international maritime standards. They support military operations around the world, including combat, disaster relief, and emergency evacuations. The RFA supplies the Royal Navy with fuel, food, and ammunition.

According to Nautilus International, the union representing the striking officers, this escalation follows previous one-day strikes in August and early September. Officers from different RFA departments will strike at various points across the three-day period, with significant disruption expected to affect Royal Navy operations globally.

The RFA’s employees have faced a real-term pay cut of over 30% since 2010, according to the union, with a 4.5% pay rise imposed in November 2023 for the 2022/23 period. The pay offer was rejected by union members, who are now pushing for a deal that addresses the wage losses suffered over the past decade.

Nautilus International’s director of organising, Martyn Gray, criticised the lack of government action, stating, “Since Labour have come to power, they have ended several ongoing public sector disputes, except for the Royal Fleet Auxiliary. This is yet another clear message to our members that they are undervalued by government, irrespective of party, despite their critical role in our nation’s national security and defence.”

In addition to pay issues, the RFA is facing a critical recruitment and retention crisis, with the service reporting severe understaffing. The strike action is expected to severely impact the RFA’s ability to support Royal Navy operations, a crucial role the organisation plays worldwide.

Gray further warned, “This will cause significant disruption to the service and to the Royal Navy, which is reliant on the support from the RFA. If government is not willing to listen to the gravely felt frustration and anger of RFA employees, we are left with no other option but to escalate our action.”

The union has called for a fair pay offer that reflects the real-term pay cut since 2010 and addresses the ongoing staffing crisis. “We stand ready to put an offer to members that reflects the real-term pay cut since 2010 and represents a pathway towards a future of Fair Pay,” Gray added, calling for urgent action to avert further disruption.

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George has a degree in Cyber Security from Glasgow Caledonian University and has a keen interest in naval and cyber security matters and has appeared on national radio and television to discuss current events. George is on Twitter at @geoallison
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Jack
Jack (@guest_853113)
17 days ago

Good for them. Bad employers abuse the good will and loyalty of the best while pandering to the worst.

Geoff Roach
Geoff Roach (@guest_853117)
17 days ago

The RFA has about 1800/2000 personnel? So as an example, £100 a month extra will cost about £2.5 million or thereabouts.. Now, if they were train drivers who paid for Labour to be elected…..🙄

grizzler
grizzler (@guest_853129)
17 days ago
Reply to  Geoff Roach

Or pensioners who usually vote Tory so can freeze..

Geoff Roach
Geoff Roach (@guest_853144)
17 days ago
Reply to  grizzler

True my friend BBRRRRRRRRRRRR

Bazza
Bazza (@guest_853188)
17 days ago
Reply to  grizzler

If you are freezing to death you will be eligible for benefits. Removing a blanket handout to the richest in society (the wealthy half of pensioners) is a good thing. Those that need the money can still get it, those that spend it on nice wines can do without.

Barry White
Barry White (@guest_853404)
17 days ago
Reply to  Bazza

So if you are just a couple of pounds over the pension credit threshold many cannot claim in which case those that get it become much better off as pension credit opens up the ability to claim lots of things

Tim
Tim (@guest_853130)
17 days ago
Reply to  Geoff Roach

They don’t want a extra 100 a month that would be about 5% they want a lot more

Jacko
Jacko (@guest_853141)
17 days ago
Reply to  Tim

Well ok you could double that and it’s still peanuts compared to what this lot are chucking money at.

Tim
Tim (@guest_853159)
17 days ago
Reply to  Jacko

As I said to the other guy u give one group so much then everyone else wants the same it’s not peanuts otherwise they would do it

Geoff Roach
Geoff Roach (@guest_853143)
17 days ago
Reply to  Tim

“So as an example” ? If it were down to me I would give them 20 per cent plus. £10 million in the order fo things is peanuts. The MOD/GOV. will waste that messing about.

Tim
Tim (@guest_853158)
17 days ago
Reply to  Geoff Roach

So u give them 20% and what do u think the rest of the government pay roll will want ? Will they settle for 10% no there going to want the same and it’s going to end up costing billions now if that’s what u want then fine but then we have to accept we got to pay more tax things are never in isolation there is always a knock on effect, there is a way u can pay more tax off your own back if u want btw u can fill out a form and give them more money

Geoff Roach
Geoff Roach (@guest_853350)
17 days ago
Reply to  Tim

The thing with this govt. so far is that they have handed out pay rises to all sorts without a second though, yet they are in dispute with the RFA. I know it’s not Labours fault for the initial delays but what’s good for the T/D’s should be good for the RFA. A T/D sits in his cab for £60/80,000. An RFA crewman is away for months, put themselves in harms way and are averaging about £35/40,000. Something wrong there I think.

Tim
Tim (@guest_853481)
16 days ago
Reply to  Geoff Roach

I don’t disagree that they probably deserve more money and train drivers don’t to be fair train drivers days are numbered it won’t be long til they are driverless I think many of the unions have seen what they got and we are in for some very bumpy times ahead and I can’t see Labour spending there way out of this

Geoff Roach
Geoff Roach (@guest_853525)
16 days ago
Reply to  Tim

Much of a repeat of the first eight weeks I can’t see Labour having money to do anything…🙄

Rowan Wagstaff-Weston
Rowan Wagstaff-Weston (@guest_853156)
17 days ago
Reply to  Geoff Roach

I have seen a figure of roughly £95m for the RFA pay bill quoted (although not sure if that assumes all billets filled… if so then the true figure will be much lower). That means that for less than £50m – less than 1% of the funding MoD has thrown at trying to turn the pig of Ajax into a silk purse – everyone in the RFA could have a 50% pay rise tomorrow.

Geoff Roach
Geoff Roach (@guest_853353)
17 days ago

Couldn’t agree more. Consultants(?) on a mind boggling hourly rate ( I have had experience in dealing with the MOD) and project czars on even more. Yet people who are vital have to go on strike. Ridiculous.

BeaconLights2
BeaconLights2 (@guest_853127)
17 days ago

Meanwhile MoD pays £400m to some consultants for a two-year contract to provide god knows what..

I will maintain that despite all the news surrounding streamlining and appointing heads of project MoD procurement is still extremely broken.

expat
expat (@guest_853146)
17 days ago
Reply to  BeaconLights2

That’s despite the number of civil servants paid for from MoD budget increasing over the past 8 years. I the last year alone the MoD civil service has grown 1.7% whilst the front line personnel number have dropped!!! That’s over 1000 more in a year! I would say getting a bit more out of civil service staff rather than employing a 1000 would more than cover a decent pay rise to RFA. Its not just MoD procurement that’s broken by the looks of things.

Last edited 17 days ago by expat
Geoff Roach
Geoff Roach (@guest_853170)
17 days ago
Reply to  BeaconLights2

Precisely.

maurice10
maurice10 (@guest_853149)
17 days ago

Sadly, this action will result in a parliamentary change of status for this current civilian service. No matter the reasons any component within the mechanism of defence that compromises the safety of the country can not be allowed hold us to ransom. As much as I sympathise with the RFA this is not the time to hinder the navy’s operation at this critical time. RFA is an honourable service, which needs special consideration but the current government is not listening in respect to further spending on defence or otherwise.

expat
expat (@guest_853157)
17 days ago
Reply to  maurice10

I think the problem is the RFA are actually lumped in with the civil service(Whitehall bunch) which is unfair as they’re way more productive and critical than a good % of the Whitehall mob 🙂

maurice10
maurice10 (@guest_853181)
17 days ago
Reply to  expat

Whatever the level of entanglement, this will require a major re-jigging of current demarcation between civilian and RN personnel. The RFA crews may have inadvertently started the ball rolling by this action?

ABCRodney
ABCRodney (@guest_853853)
15 days ago
Reply to  expat

The other small issue is that unlike a lot of civil servants the RFA staff can literally walk out the door and transfer their skills at a very large increase in pay.
So trying to peg them to CS pay scale is pointless !

Expat
Expat (@guest_853890)
15 days ago
Reply to  ABCRodney

Yep. I don’t think it would be right to lump them with RN, though it would have political impacts for the work they do and impede it. This may sound odd, but setting up a government run company would allow them to retain civilian status but be treated differently to the CS blob. Of course it would need to be protected in law from privatisation.

Peter S
Peter S (@guest_853165)
17 days ago
Reply to  maurice10

The continuing shortage of crew( unlike the ample supply of people wanting to be train drivers) should show govt that something more needs to be offered. But striking may have consequences. If the RFA can’t be relied on, the only solution is to disband it and let the RN crew the ships. Of course at present the RN has manning issues. But since, in theory, RFA crews could strike at any time , the damage to defence operations shouldn’t be put at such risk.

Rowan Wagstaff-Weston
Rowan Wagstaff-Weston (@guest_853168)
17 days ago
Reply to  Peter S

That argument doesn’t really hold water, since the RN couldn’t crew the ships the same way the RFA does (not a criticism of the RN, but the RN and the RFA train and operate differently). For example, the RFA put 70 crew on a Bay Class… the RAN, which operate similarly to the RN, put over 200 on there.

So you can either find the budget to pay a decent pay rise for 2,000 sailors… or the budget to hire 6,000 more, mostly on better pay. I know which makes more sense to me.

maurice10
maurice10 (@guest_853180)
17 days ago
Reply to  Peter S

Obviously, the RN would have to trim commitments in the short term if it had to man RFA vessels. The choices for Whitehall are few other than give them a one off above inflation rise in combination with a no strike clause.

Dragonwight
Dragonwight (@guest_853162)
17 days ago

This government will make a complete c***k of it. They have everything else so far.

Andrew D
Andrew D (@guest_853186)
17 days ago

Sadly this will probably not even be on the government’s list of things to be done. Don’t think it’s even made news headlines ( RFA ) who are they 🤔

ABCRodney
ABCRodney (@guest_853855)
15 days ago
Reply to  Andrew D

I think this article may be playing down the scale of the dispute, yes the Officers are taking limited Industrial Action. But not one mention of the other crew members who are represented by the RMT, yep just when Labour thought Mick Lynch was out of their hair, he has another axe to grind.
And he’s bloody good at it.🤔