RFA In General

[Pelican]

Chart shows how Royal Fleet Auxiliary personnel have suffered worst real-terms pay cuts compared with armed forces and blue-light services from 2009 onwards.

A separate £1500 one-off, non-consolidated bonus will be given to personnel who were employed by the RFA before March 31 2023. Important to note this was awarded to all Civil Servants because of cost of living crisis when last year's pay rise was only 2.9%.
Govt specifically stipulated this is not part of the 2023/24 pay award.

Both maritime trade unions RMT union have received an overwhelming response from their membership to reject the 2023/24 pay offer which does not address over 10 years of pay cuts. Industrial action is likely.

It was rumoured RFA was planning to give sailors Sponsored Reserve Status when on key deployments (with extra pay that would attract and change of disciplinary status).
This is NOT the case but RFA is exploring ways that deployed personnel might get additional pay.

[Pelican]

BMT Global today unveiled their model of the Fleet Solid Support ship.

No major changes to the external features since our article:
https://www.navylookout.com/in-focus-th ... ip-design/
But RFA sailors will be pleased to know cabins have been given portholes.

Source ~ Navy Lookout

P.S. Also see - https://twitter.com/DefenceES/status/17 ... 40/photo/1

[Pelican]

Navy Lookout

Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) pay negotiations have failed and Nautilus Union members are now voting to decide on industrial action. The vote closes on October 3rd.
If there is majority support there will be a strike over the 2023/24 pay award.

[Pelican]

RMT union says over 500 RFA personnel will hold a 9-week ballot (starting today) for potential strike action over pay.

sEE - https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=72 ... cale=en_GB

[Pelican]

RFA Diligence for sale – another stealth cut to the Navy

The was no official announcement but the RN has just lost another important capability. RFA Diligence is a forward repair ship able to provide specialist engineering support to ships and submarines alongside in overseas ports or even at sea. Diligence has been inactive in Birkenhead for over a year and the MoD has just put her up for sale.
Continues at - https://www.navylookout.com/rfa-diligen ... -the-navy/

Also see - https://twitter.com/NavyLookout/status/ ... 3256044547

Navy Lookout

Ex-RFA Diligence alongside in Portsmouth awaits scrapping.
At 42 years old not economical to convert her to mothership role as some suggest.
She looks in such good condition because, MoD in their wisdom, decided to lay her up following an £11M refit.

HMS Iron Duke returned to Portsmouth yesterday following short trip to Norway.

Ex-RFA Diligence back in the basin - rumoured to have failed hull inspection and unfit to be towed for scrap.

Photo at - https://twitter.com/NavyLookout/status/ ... 8555091438

[Brian James]

Multi-role Ocean Surveillance Ship RFA Proteus pictured alongside Museum Ship, Town Class Light Cruiser HMS Belfast on October 9th 2023.

[Pelican]

PAY - TWEET FROM 'SEAN' - + HIS ATTACHMENTA

Received reply to my FOI about total cost (salary/NI/pension) to public purse of total RFA wages in FY 2022/23 (attached)

It's £92m. NINETY TWO MILLION
To restore some parity with Forces & ease retention could cost £10m/yr

Some comments from others:

The 2023/24 RFA pay offer is 4.5% for trained strength and 5% for trainees and apprentices, which (if agreed/ imposed), will be dated back to July

A separate £1500 one-off, non-consolidated bonus will be given to personnel who were employed by the RFA before March 31 2023. Important to note this was awarded to all Civil Servants because of cost of living crisis when last year's pay rise was only 2.9%.
Govt specifically stipulated this is not part of the 2023/24 pay award.

Both maritime trade unions RMT union and nautilusint have received an overwhelming response from their membership to reject the 2023/24 pay offer which does not address over 10 years of pay cuts. Industrial action is likely.

[Pelican]

RFA Headquarters personnel will be on very public show at the Festival of Remembrance in the Royal Albert Hall on Saturday night, and again the following morning taking part in the National Act of Remembrance at the Cenotaph in London.

See - https://twitter.com/RoyalNavy/status/17 ... 6474735825

[Brian James]

Lead Ship, Fleet Replenishment Ship RFA Fort Rosalie pictured dry docked at Cammell Laird Shipyard Birkenhead, Wirral, Merseyside on November 15th 2018. On March 31st 2021, she was withdrawn from service, and offered for sale on May 21st 2021, along with sister ship RFA Fort Austin, for recycling, however in October 2021 it was announced that the ship, together with her sister ship, had been sold to Egypt. While awaiting refit, it was reported that she would be renamed ENS Abu Simbel.

[Pelican]

Martin’s magnificent maritime service merits Merchant Navy medal

24 November 2023 Topic: Fighting armsRoyal Auxiliary Fleet Storyline: Success Stories
With an astonishing 52 years’ service under his belt, there was Royal recognition for the outstanding contribution Chief Petty Officer Martin Etwell has made to the RFA.

The chef is now the sole serving member of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary whose uniform is adorned with the Merchant Navy Medal for Meritorious Service, presented by Her Royal Highness the Princess Royal.

The medal, introduced in 2015, is presented to between a dozen and 20 merchant seafarers – and that includes the 1,700 men and women in the Royal Fleet Auxiliary – for their outstanding contribution to the maritime industry and seafaring.

To date only two other – retired – RFA personnel have received the MNM for their work with the service’s association.

Martin, who’s from Newbury in Berkshire, joined the RFA in 1971 as a galley boy. Half a century later, as a chief petty officer, he’s one of the most respected chefs in the UK Armed Forces, passing on his knowledge to new cadres of Royal Navy and RFA caterers, and acting as a mentor to RFA trainees at the Defence College of Logistics, Policing and Administration at Worthy Down, near Winchester.

Before stepping ashore to teach, Martin served on every class of RFA vessel in service up to the new Tide-class tankers which support UK carrier operations.

He was in the galley of RFA Fort Austin during the Falklands conflict, accompanying assault ship HMS Fearless into San Carlos Water when the landings to liberate the islands began. Fort The ship spent four days in ‘Bomb Alley’, surviving several near masses and subsequently took survivors from destroyer HMS Coventry aboard.

Continues - https://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/news-and-l ... navy-medal