I see our own trops now have to buy their own insurance to compensate for lack of government support.

So much for the Covenant

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article2801051.ece


_________________
Veni vidi vinci

The report is misleading in that our troops ARE insured whilst ON duty....Like us, if they want cover for non work hours they are required to pay.

Have signed the RBL fight for the covenant today. have not been on the RBL site for a few months and was suprised to see no mention of our fight mentioned at all..... did we not gain the RBL backing at the last annual conference?

The lads having to pay for their own insurance is disgusting and beggars belief...so again the civil serpents have excelled themselves in the MOD. If the HD committee were to be part of the proposed redundancies of the civil servants in Whitehall then this would generate enough savings to revert back to the old system........ Some hope!!!!!!

Roger
Costa Calida

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Last edited by StanW on Mon Apr 14, 2008 12:21 am; edited 1 time in total

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Last edited by StanW on Mon Apr 14, 2008 12:22 am; edited 1 time in total

1) we were/they are on duty for 24 hours including "off-duty"/ leave etc

2) What, I believe, the Brigadier is saying is, although the MOD covers for death and injury, the
amount of cover that the MOD will provide may be/is insufficient to cover eventual costs and there
is an option to obtain greater benefit if you choose to take out private cover. Similar to NHS funded care
vis-a-vis Private Medical Insurance; i.e. IT IS AN OPTION AND NOT A REQUIREMENT! Those injured
and the widows./widowers are also entitled to a War Pension.


IT DOES NOT EXCUSE THE MOD FOR NOT PROPERLY PROVIDING FOR THE INJURED AND THE FAMILIES OF THOSE KILLED IN THE FIRST PLACE IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE "COVENANT", without the need for a private provision option!



Last edited by GLOman on Sun Nov 04, 2007 8:55 pm; edited 1 time in total

Stan I shall be on duty again tomorrow doing the same and giving one of these to everyone who asks about the PJM :->>>>


By phredd

Phredd

ps ==== just the card that is. NO pin

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Last edited by StanW on Mon Apr 14, 2008 12:22 am; edited 1 time in total

Quote: "I thought you were on duty 24hours a day in the army Fred. Or is it more like civvy street now where you can pick and choose your own hours?" Stan

Technically Stan, I suppose they are, but I am sure I am right in saying that like the other emergency services, Police, Fire, Ambulance, they are no expected to remain sober 24/7 either.

THE nation’s unwritten covenant with its military is out of kilter but not broken, according to the Chief of the General Staff.

In an exclusive interview, Gen Sir Richard Dannatt spoke of the operational pressure under which the Army was operating and likened the covenant to the lubricants which kept an engine working smoothly.

“Our ability to conduct operations and do them really well are all on the demand side of the equation. We’ve been asking an awful lot of our people.

“What we have to ensure also is that we are able to meet fully the legitimate needs of individuals in terms of pay, housing, accommodation for single soldiers and families, medical support and trying to balance off the demands of the organisation, the intensity of operations and our ability to look after individuals in the ongoing campaign,” he said.

Progress was being made in trying to balance the military covenant, he emphasised, “but we’ve got a long way to go”. He cited last year’s operational allowance and the 9.3 per cent pay rise for the most junior ranks, and this year’s 2.6 per cent average rise across the Service and one per cent rise in the X-factor, progress at Selly Oak in caring for the most seriously wounded and the impressive standards of rehabilitation at Headley Court as “good steps” in the right direction.

More on Pay

Above-inflation rise for troops

ARMED Forces personnel are set to notice the difference in their pockets in the months ahead after the Government announced an inflation-busting pay increase.

All Servicemen and women will see their basic salary climb by 2.6 per cent while the X-factor – the adjustment to pay to reflect the difference between military and civilian life – is also being increased from 13 to 14 per cent.

The salary changes, which come into force on April 1, mean the most junior soldier will get an extra £550 in their current £15,677 basic pay. Officers will also receive generous rises. A captain at the bottom of the pay scale can now expect £1,225 more a year in their basic pay, taking their salary to £36,160.

The amount of X-factor paid to senior officers has also been restructured for the first time since the 1970s. The change recognises that lieutenant colonels, colonels and brigadiers are experiencing a frequency of operational tours and conditions similar to their junior colleagues. The high tempo of operations is also reflected in a 2.6 per cent hike in the Longer Separation Allowance (LSA), which will give troops a minimum of an extra £1,100 in the bank over the duration of a six month-tour (based on Level 1 rates of LSA).

Pay for specialists such as pilots and divers is being increased at the same rate, while a new form of specialist pay band is being created for some bomb disposal personnel.

The adjustments come after the Government accepted in full the recommendations of the Armed Forces Pay Review Body.

More than £280 million is now being spent on military salaries.
Gen Sir Richard Dannatt, Chief of the General Staff, said: “This pay award to the Army, especially the increase in the X-factor, recognises the professionalism, commitment and sacrifice that our soldiers continue to make on operations in Iraq, Afghanistan and across the world. It also recognises the busy programme that our soldiers undertake between operations with little slackening in their pace of life, and it goes some way to acknowledge the pressures that Service families face through long periods of separation and concern.”

All British troops deployed on overseas operations are to be relieved of their council tax burdens following the widening of a Government initiative.
It means any soldier on ops who has to pay the charge for a UK property – or meet contributions in lieu for Service family accommodation – can get a special relief payment of up to £140 for a six-month tour. Previously open only to those in Iraq and Afghanistan, the scheme has been extended to 4,500 more serving on ops in theatres including Kosovo, Qatar, Kuwait and the Falklands. Defence Secretary Des Browne said: “This rebate is another example of our commitment to provide the best welfare support we can.”

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Last edited by StanW on Sun Apr 13, 2008 11:47 pm; edited 1 time in total

My compliments Lynda Waltho, superbly presented points.

I worked for a Local Authority for many years and staff were insured at work, which included going to and from work.

I would have thought this was a universal "given" that a serviceman going directly to his place of duty was at work. (Retreats to bunker)


_________________
Pingat Kami - Hak Kami
651 Signal Troop,
Semengo Camp,
Kuching.

Whilst not wishing to appear unsympathetic I must point out that in the Private Sector whilst workers are fully insured during working hours, they are not when travelling to and from work in the majority of cases. They are required to take out a private policy. Clearly this is how it is seen for our Forces.

Redcapfred wrote:

Whilst not wishing to appear unsympathetic I must point out that in the Private Sector whilst workers are fully insured during working hours, they are not when travelling to and from work in the majority of cases. They are required to take out a private policy. Clearly this is how it is seen for our Forces.

Well you do seem unsympathetic to me, especially as you are comparing service personnel with the private sector. How is it that a Station Commander can instruct her RAF personnel not to wear uniform when off duty and in town. Seems they are still under service regulations so any forces personnel travelling to work should be the same.
Even the HD Committee are trying to make us retired crown servants after 50 years service in Malaya/Borneo so that we can be told we cannot wear the PJM.
The civil service in this country are running amok like headless chickens who do not seem to know what they are doing and making stupid regulations is about their limit. Even an elected MP (John Reid) has said that they (Home Office) are not fit for purpose. When they cannot even make sensible rules about foreign decorations and awards and then have to cover it by saying the rules are discretionary then what hope is there for our brave service personnel having sensible and intelligent regulations to serve under.
We must unite and fight this stupidity in our midst, instead of supporting them every time. Wake up and smell the coffee.