A division of the Royal Navy that provides logistics support to the British fleet at sea is going on strike this month because its officers are “overworked, underpaid and undervalued,” according to a union representing U.K. mariners.
The Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) will go on strike on Aug. 15 for the first time since it was founded in 1905 because its members haven’t received a pay increase that meets the current inflation rate in almost 15 years, officials with the Nautilus International trade union said this week.
Martyn Gray, the union’s organizing director, said strike action is always a last resort, but the status quo is unacceptable and leaves them with no option other than escalation.
“The fact that this is the first time RFA officers will take strike action in history is a scathing indictment of the state of the service, which is experiencing a recruitment and retention crisis and rock-bottom morale across the workforce,” Mr. Gray said. “To avoid disruption at the RFA, which is vital to the UK’s naval capabilities, we need a pay offer that reflects the high rate of inflation and a pathway to pay restoration.”
A spokesperson for the Ministry of Defense told the British Forces Broadcasting Service that RFA officers are “highly valued” and that government officials remain “committed to listening to their concerns.” The defense spokesperson said they will continue to communicate with the RFA officers to “address the issues they have raised.”
The British RFA is similar to the U.S. Navy’s Military Sealift Command (MSC). Both hire civilian mariners to operate logistics ships that provide vital fuel, ammunition, and other supplies to Navy warships at sea. While MSC also has recruiting difficulties, its pay – especially for civil service deck and engine officers — isn’t considered to be part of the staffing problem.
• Mike Glenn can be reached at mglenn@washingtontimes.com.
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