RFA In General

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Navy Lookout

Nautilus has set 6th December as the date for its 500 RFA officer members to ballot on strike action.
Despite arbitration service (ACAS) being involved, no resolution or increased pay offer made.
The RFA continues to see mass exodus of people.
See - https://maritime-executive.com/article/ ... -auxiliary


Navy Lookout

"Industrial action at the RFA will cause significant disruption and severely limit the UK's naval capacity.
To avoid disruption, the UK government should commit to a pay increase reflective of the real terms pay cut since 2010 and the current high levels of inflation."

[Pelican]

The Royal Fleet Auxiliary in 2023

The ships of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary are a vital part of the UK naval capability but the past year has been a story of very mixed fortunes for the service. Here we look at the current status of the fleet.

Pay rise or bust
While there is growing concern about declining personnel numbers in the RN, the crisis is in the RFA is even more acute. Despite the attractions of generally more varied and exciting service in support of the RN than working in the commercial sector, fundamentally RFA salaries are increasingly uncompetitive. There is a global shortage of mariners and it is very easy for sailors to move to better-paid jobs. The commercial sector has faced up to the reality of inflation and greater competition and is paying much higher salaries than a few years ago. RFA pay structures are hamstrung by the Navy’s budget and government trying to exercise pay restraint.

Between 2021-22, the number of RFA sailors declined from 1,840 to 1,750, a loss of nearly 5% from a workforce that was already overstretched and numbers continued to fall this year. Many RFA vessels are now operating a Tailored Scheme of Compliment (TSOC), the minimum level of crew possible to run the ship safely which can mean being 20-30% short-handed. The RFA is currently short of at least 70 deck ratings alone, a large proportion amongst a relatively small organisation. Marine engineers are in especially short supply and the average age of those still loyally serving is increasing due to a failure to attract new recruits.

Navy Command has begun to explore the possibilities of small-scale outsourcing, whereby Serco might supply qualified mariners on FTRS contracts to backfill workforce gaps. This system can also provide specialists with the expertise needed to operate non-typical platforms like RFA Proteus. Outsourcing may be a partial solution but is not an affordable way to deliver the overall number of people needed.

Both the Nautilus Union which represents officers and the RMT Union which represents about 500 other RFA sailors have balloted their members on strike action which is likely to take place in the new year. The unions quite rightly point out the 4.5 % pay offer made in 2023 is well below the rate of inflation and since 2010, RFA mariners have faced a pay cut in real terms of over 30%. Until the leadership is funded and empowered to considerably increase salaries, there are very few other solutions that will properly remedy this crisis and expect to see more ships laid up for lack of sailors if action is not taken quickly.

Continues at - https://www.navylookout.com/the-royal-f ... y-in-2023/

[Pelican]

SercoGroup is now recruiting seafarers to serve on Royal Fleet Auxiliaries.

The RFA is short of around 70 deck hands and exploring all options.
Job advert for Able Seafarer working 5 weeks on, 5 weeks off on an unnamed RFA ship:
https://careers.serco.com/UK/job/Hampsh ... 778298402/

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PAY

Navy Lookout
For context:
A Seaman Grade 1 can earn about £10k more each year in the commercial shipping sector than if serving in the Royal Fleet. Auxiliary (and this pay disparity generally increases with seniority).

Comment - Old Skool Ford
That statistic is mostly true for equivalent ranks in the RN too.
Even more so when you account for the fact that British Merchant seamen qualify for Seafarers' Earnings Deduction (aka income rax relief) but RN Sailors don't.
See - https://www.gov.uk/guidance/seafarers-e ... -on-a-ship

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Dickie represents RFA as Coronation Medals are presented to Civil Servants

The man who prepared RFA sailors for their day in the spotlight was invited to join others behind the King’s Coronation for a ‘thank you’ from the UK’s top civil servant.

Barry ‘Dickie’ Henderson was a legendary figure for many years in the Royal Navy as one of its leading proponents of drill and leadership.

Now retired from the RN he works for the RFA as a civil servant and delivers training on RFA leadership and management courses.

And that included drilling around two dozen personnel for ceremonial duties for Operation Golden Orb, the military’s input to/involvement in His Majesty’s Coronation last May.

Continues at - https://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/news-and-l ... l-servants

[Pelican]

Navy Lookout
Recruitment for the Royal Fleet Auxiliary was 26% below its target for the last 5 years.
https://www.theyworkforyou.com/wrans/?i ... s#g9749.r0
And - https://ukdefencejournal.org.uk/rfa-rec ... d-targets/

[Pelican]

Navy Lookout
Ex-RFA Diligence finally made seaworthy - ready for her imminent journey to the scrap yard.
Chartered by the MoD for Falklands War 1982, subsequently bought and converted as a forward repair ship, serving in RFA until decommissioned without replacement in 2016.

[Pelican]

Navy Lookout
Ex-RFA Diligence finally made seaworthy - ready for her imminent journey to the scrap yard.
Chartered by the MoD for Falklands War 1982, subsequently bought and converted as a forward repair ship, serving in RFA until decommissioned without replacement in 2016.

Also see - https://www.portsmouth.co.uk/news/defen ... ed-4541819 - LFT

[Pelican]

Navy Lookout
RFA officers have voted to go on strike after rejecting the 4.5% pay offer.
79% voted yes to strike action
85% voted yes to action short of a strike (60% turnout)
https://www.nautilusint.org/en/news-ins ... ke-action/

Sir Humphrey
This is genuinely unprecedented. For the RFA to strike reflects just how challenging their situation is, but may also force long term questions about the viability of a civillian led sustainment force.

Deborah Haynes
NEW: Civilian sailors on the Royal Navy's support fleet - RFAHeadquarters - have for the first time voted for strike action over a significant erosion in pay in a move that could impact UK security.

Navy Lookout
RFA Tiderace is officially 'in maintenance' at Cammell Laird but actually has been significantly store robbed and is now at extended readiness indefinitely (Laid up next to RFA Fort Victoria)
RFA personnel numbers are still falling.

Sir Humphrey
On paper the Royal Navy has 6 tankers. In reality 50% of them are in long term reserve and unlikely to ever sail again under the RFA ensign unless personnel numbers change very significantly.

Sir Humphrey
This is what a genuine increase in defence spending looks like - deeds, not words.
OSINTtechnical
Norway just released its new massive long term defense spending plan:
Effective doubling in spending by 2036
4,600 more conscripts, 13,700 more reservists and 4,600 more employees
Five new frigates, at least five new submarines, and new class of 10/18 smaller vessels
Rt. Hon Ben Wallace MP Replying to Osinttechnical
Country, after Country in NATO is increasingly their defence spending but we are not.
10 Downing Street Time to stop avoiding the difficult decisions and ensure we are ready for what might come.

[Pelican]

RFA votes for strike action

Members of the Nautilus International union at the Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) have voted strongly in favour of industrial action.

The ballot followed the rejection by members of a 4.5% pay offer for 2023 that fell far below the rate of inflation.

Since 2010, say the union, RFA employees have faced real terms pay cut of over 30%, beyond other blue light services, leading to significant challenges in recruitment and retention and low morale across the workforce.

The results of the ballot are as follows:

79% voted yes to strike action
85% voted yes to action short of a strike
60% turnout
Nautilus director of organising Martyn Gray said:

“The result of this ballot is a clear indication of the strength of frustration amongst our members at the RFA, who feel overworked, underpaid, and undervalued. The RFA is vital to the UK’s naval capabilities. In a time of significant geo-political instability, we do not wish to see disruption to the RFA’s operations. We hope this ballot result will focus minds and we look forward to engaging further with the RFA and the Ministry of Defence as a matter of urgency to forge a path forward that reflects the deeply held concerns of our members and avoids industrial action.”

Source UKDJ