Any thoughts
Posted: Sun 21 Sep, 2003 2:36 pm
This was in the Express today.. A fright train is comming.
SOLDIERS SACKED IN COST CUTTING EXERCISE GET CALL UP TO FIGHT AGAIN BY DESPERATE MOD
Soldiers who were sacked when their expert services were no longer required but before they could claim a full pension have been called up to fight again because the Army is shot of staff.
The specialists dragged back into the frontline are understood to include bomb disposal experts, whose services are desperately needed in Iraq.
The men were sacked under a controversial policy called manning Control, which critics say is being used to cut costs at the expense of the military.
In further evidence of shortages, the Ministry of Defence has also admitted that 13 Royal Navy ships are at sea without their full crew complement. In a parliamentary answer; Defence Minister Ivor Caplin said the Army has called up 12 soldiers whom it had sacked and a further 1,917 remain on the reserve list.
Soldiers who have been dismissed are planning launch legal action. They claim that the MoD has been abusing the system to push out older troops rather than foot the bill for the more expensive option of a medical discharge.
Liberal Democrat defence spokesman Paul Keetch, who uncovered details of the call ups says he has seen documents showing that cost was a factor in discharging at least one soldier thought Manning Control instead of on medical grounds.
Mr Keetch told the Sunday Express: “It is ridiculous that soldiers are being sacked and then called up again . the Army has been undermanned since Labour came to power. “Something has been going seriously wrong inside the MoD if perfectly good soldiers have been sacked. “This is no way to treat soldiers and no way to encourage more recruits.
“There is mounting evidence that the Manning Control system has been abused, with perfectly capable soldiers losing their jobs at great cost to themselves and their families.
“It would be better for the MoD if it launched an inquiry now, rather waiting until large numbers of soldiers sue for unfair dismissal.”
Soldiers face careers reviews at seven, nine and 12 years service. If there is a large number of similar aged soldiers blocking the promotion of younger candidates, some could find themselves dismissed under Queen’s Regulations 9.413: Not required for a full Army Career”.
Soldiers are supposed to be warned 12 to 18 months before being dismissed that they are being submitted for review.
Solicitor Tom Reah, who has gathered more than 200 soldiers who are considering launching a class action law suit, told the Sunday express: “Its incredibly stupid”
“Its nonsensical because some of those people who have been called up have been out for so long and they haven’t kept up their fitness. Many only do a few hours a year on the reserve list.
“I will be meeting with people over the next two to three weeks to decide how to proceed”.
One soldier he is representing, Corporal Paul Biddis, was selected for SAS training just weeks before he was told he was no longer needed. He claims he was bullied into signing up for Manning Control and told he could not visit his son, who was in hospital with meningitis unless he signed. His son suffered brain damage and his wife has been treated for depression. Earlier this year, Defence Minister Lewis Moonie said that manning Control had been suspended.
However; an MoD spokeswoman said: “ I can confirm that the Army has not suspended Manning Control points.
“In the last four years approximately 200 people have been discharged under the mechanism but we do not hold the data centrally on who exactly has been called back”.
The Army is not alone in straining to cope with over stretched resources.
Armed Forces Minister Adam Ingram has also admitted that naval deployments have been effected by shortages of staff.
The destroyer Manchester, frigates Cornwall, Kent, Lancaster, Norfolk, Portland and Sutherland, mine counter measure ships Quorn, Atherstone, Penzance and Cottesmore, the survey ship Scott and the parole vessel Leeds Castle are all at sea without full crew compliments.
The MoD admits that the need to provide cover during the strike by fire-fighters has forced some sailors to miss out on key training.
REPRODUCED IN FULL…FROM THE SUNDAY EXPRESS SUNDAY 21 SEPTEMBER 2003-09-21 ARTICLE BY TIM SHIPMAN (DEPUTY POLITICAL EDITOR)
SOLDIERS SACKED IN COST CUTTING EXERCISE GET CALL UP TO FIGHT AGAIN BY DESPERATE MOD
Soldiers who were sacked when their expert services were no longer required but before they could claim a full pension have been called up to fight again because the Army is shot of staff.
The specialists dragged back into the frontline are understood to include bomb disposal experts, whose services are desperately needed in Iraq.
The men were sacked under a controversial policy called manning Control, which critics say is being used to cut costs at the expense of the military.
In further evidence of shortages, the Ministry of Defence has also admitted that 13 Royal Navy ships are at sea without their full crew complement. In a parliamentary answer; Defence Minister Ivor Caplin said the Army has called up 12 soldiers whom it had sacked and a further 1,917 remain on the reserve list.
Soldiers who have been dismissed are planning launch legal action. They claim that the MoD has been abusing the system to push out older troops rather than foot the bill for the more expensive option of a medical discharge.
Liberal Democrat defence spokesman Paul Keetch, who uncovered details of the call ups says he has seen documents showing that cost was a factor in discharging at least one soldier thought Manning Control instead of on medical grounds.
Mr Keetch told the Sunday Express: “It is ridiculous that soldiers are being sacked and then called up again . the Army has been undermanned since Labour came to power. “Something has been going seriously wrong inside the MoD if perfectly good soldiers have been sacked. “This is no way to treat soldiers and no way to encourage more recruits.
“There is mounting evidence that the Manning Control system has been abused, with perfectly capable soldiers losing their jobs at great cost to themselves and their families.
“It would be better for the MoD if it launched an inquiry now, rather waiting until large numbers of soldiers sue for unfair dismissal.”
Soldiers face careers reviews at seven, nine and 12 years service. If there is a large number of similar aged soldiers blocking the promotion of younger candidates, some could find themselves dismissed under Queen’s Regulations 9.413: Not required for a full Army Career”.
Soldiers are supposed to be warned 12 to 18 months before being dismissed that they are being submitted for review.
Solicitor Tom Reah, who has gathered more than 200 soldiers who are considering launching a class action law suit, told the Sunday express: “Its incredibly stupid”
“Its nonsensical because some of those people who have been called up have been out for so long and they haven’t kept up their fitness. Many only do a few hours a year on the reserve list.
“I will be meeting with people over the next two to three weeks to decide how to proceed”.
One soldier he is representing, Corporal Paul Biddis, was selected for SAS training just weeks before he was told he was no longer needed. He claims he was bullied into signing up for Manning Control and told he could not visit his son, who was in hospital with meningitis unless he signed. His son suffered brain damage and his wife has been treated for depression. Earlier this year, Defence Minister Lewis Moonie said that manning Control had been suspended.
However; an MoD spokeswoman said: “ I can confirm that the Army has not suspended Manning Control points.
“In the last four years approximately 200 people have been discharged under the mechanism but we do not hold the data centrally on who exactly has been called back”.
The Army is not alone in straining to cope with over stretched resources.
Armed Forces Minister Adam Ingram has also admitted that naval deployments have been effected by shortages of staff.
The destroyer Manchester, frigates Cornwall, Kent, Lancaster, Norfolk, Portland and Sutherland, mine counter measure ships Quorn, Atherstone, Penzance and Cottesmore, the survey ship Scott and the parole vessel Leeds Castle are all at sea without full crew compliments.
The MoD admits that the need to provide cover during the strike by fire-fighters has forced some sailors to miss out on key training.
REPRODUCED IN FULL…FROM THE SUNDAY EXPRESS SUNDAY 21 SEPTEMBER 2003-09-21 ARTICLE BY TIM SHIPMAN (DEPUTY POLITICAL EDITOR)
this realy gets me