Pay reform is about 'penny pinching'

摘要

I listended closely with a mix of amusement and bemusement at a recent briefing about the New Employment Model for Armed Forces pay. Lauded as a revolution, the message was that this is not a money-saving exercise - but it's not hard to see that this is a lie. Firstly, "simplifying" the pay journeys from 128 streams to four is an extremely hollow boast. Individuals only care about their own, not the other 127. The idea of preventing "flip-flopping", that sees many personnel change several times between high and low pay bands as they promote within their trade, is also pointless. This merely reflects the workload that's carried out by the soldier in that rank - and in some trades senior NCO jobs are easier, less stressful or less dangerous than junior NCO roles, and vice versa.