PCS: Sacking soldiers by email will happen again
Responding to news today (15) that 38 soldiers have been sacked by email, the Public and Commercial Services union warns this is likely to happen again due to cuts in the Ministry of Defence.
Since the defence review announcement, PCS has been warning that incidents like this would happen as the MoD starts to cut 25,000 civilian posts and 17,000 military jobs.
Both the previous and the current governments must take their share of the blame. The previous administration left defence in a perilous position and the coalition has conducted a rushed defence review that is driven by cuts rather than strategy.
PCS general secretary Mark Serwotka said: “This is a shameful way to treat staff, whether civilian or military. But cutting 42,000 personnel from the MoD will worsen rather than improve the armed forces.
“The armed forces minister claims there is no painless way to make cuts, but we believe there is an alternative, and the government should invest in our public services and target the wealthy who avoid and evade paying tens of billions of pounds in taxes every year.
“This would allow us to have a properly funded and resourced MoD, as well as properly funded public services for all. The alternative for the MoD is to cut back on the wasteful use of private consultants and allow civilian staff to fill non-essential military posts, which would free up service personnel for the frontline.”
ENDS
Notes
– For information and interview requests contact PCS national press officer Richard Simcox on 020 7801 2747 or 07833 978216
– The Public and Commercial Services union represents civil and public servants in central government. It has more than 300,000 members in over 200 departments and agencies, and in parts of government transferred to the private sector. PCS is the UK’s sixth largest union and is affiliated to the TUC. The general secretary is Mark Serwotka and the president is Janice Godrich
– Follow PCS on Twitter
-01.png){kind=spacer}