RFA Update
March 2022
CONVENOR’S COLUMN
To date after eleven months as Convenor we have seen difficult times for all members during Coronavirus and austerity cuts to the MOD Civil Service (CS). Cost of living for our day to day essentials are going up well above inflation. We have committed ourselves to every member that has reached out and asked for help. Sometimes outcomes may not have been fruitful or fully successful. However, I cannot win them all, but the majority have been positive outcomes. While most of the day-to-day activities consist of representation for serious or gross misconducts, ‘Fitness for Task’, ill health retirement representation and small things that internally get ironed out. Long gone are the days of knocking on an Office door in West Battery to get answers or resolve an issue for a member, the majority of staff work from home or have relocated to Leach Building on various floors, sometimes the only means of contact is Skype or email and responses can be slow and frustrating. It seems nothing moves quickly. A considerable chunk of time is spent chasing up an ever-decreasing amount of RFA administrative staff. Under the partnership agreement 50% of my work time is union issues (it was 100% until 2015). The other 50% is made up of facility time working at the other end of the RFA in PERSOPS, Cadets and Apprentices Development. The Union has made progress with results in areas as follows:
1) 2) 3) 4) 5) 6) 7) 8) 9) 10) 11) 12) 13) 14) 15) 16)
Re-instating Trainee Accommodation allowance The use of TWO Concession vouchers over the Festive Period Updating Members on DBS Pension information Working with the RFA BPs to mutually agree on payment for cancelled Festive leave claims Getting a grant to update accommodation at HMS Sultan Improve and reach out to members who are ill health retiring Work on Magellan leave issues on case-by case basis Work with RFA BPs to agree on using two concessions all year round Improvement on Pers Ops communication and reach out Improved mileage allowance Agreement to pay for hotels cost upfront for courses etc. Stand-up to losing our cooperate identity under the one Navy ethos More Family Friendly policies Equality in the workplace, being part of Herald Committee Working on the RFA Committee policy and direct involvement in FSS new builds Working with DACOS and BPs updating the RFA Promotion and Advancement Policy
Regards, Ian Parkin
RFA/RMT Convenor