Subscribe
Notify of
guest

15 Comments
Oldest
Newest
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Dave Thomas

At least match the pay rise of the armed forces

Salty

Bit late for that now after all these years being ignored. Need to make good the last 14 years and have a plan to retain the experienced people so new people can be trained.

Salty

Looks like there is no rush by MoD and Treasury to fix the problem. Critical part of defence continues to be ignored and taken for granted and will reach the stage soon where somehow the RN will need to man the ships. Someone needs to get a grip now, the RFA has been drifting for too long without support.

Mark hayton

Can see this goverment disbanding RFA as part of there review.

Anonymous Coward

It’s been looking like managed decline for a while now.

Mr T. C. Masters

When I went to sea in 1960, we had a big merchant fleet of ships, all British built all manned buy British seaman. Today we don’t have a merchant fleet of British built ships, which equals no need for British professional seamen, so no where for the RFA to draw crews from.
I worked on 19 ships 18 of which where British Built, the other ship was Dutch built.
Out of those 19 ships 4 belonged to the RFA all British built, today we cannot even build our RFA ships they are built abroad.
The problem being successive British Governments have allowed everything British to be DESTROYED, because they could get poorer quality stuff from abroad to do the job cheaper.
We the people of the British Isles are paying the price.

BUY BRITISH. BE PROUD TO BE BRITISH.

Buster

And yet the RFA refused my application because I didn’t know the Stars interview technique. Stuff the 11 years of RN service.

Supportive Bloke

It is the really odd thing that RN quals don’t equal PQ for RFA intake…

It is not like an RFA would have to operate under fire or anything…?

Crazy

BKB

What were you in the RN??

Mike

You need to satisfy the MCA. When I left the RN after 14 years of service I had to go to the MCA with all my qualifications to be checked and a discussion with the head examiner. Once this was done I knew what I needed to do at college to get then what was a class 4 and class 3 COC as a deck officer. Remember the RFA comes under MCA rules and ships are certified via class (Lloyds). It doesn’t mean they ignore admirals from the RN. What it it did mean I went from a watch leader in SSNs to being a 3/O(X) over an 18 month period with a significant pay drop. That said I also went from 3/O to 2/O in 2 years and being the Nav/ops very quickly. Just because you have served in the RN doesn’t automatically make you a profession merchant sailor. The RN does not teach cargo work, stability or principles of navigation (to the same level), business law or labour laws for example. Also as a Deck officer you must have an understanding of engineering especially in tankers. As I say to my deck officers “you are Deck Officer not just bridge officer”!!!!!!

BKB

What were you in the RN??

Mike

Don’t forget to get in the RFA you need to get past the civil service!!!!!!

Supportive Bloke

Oddly, one of the very few strikes I have ever supported.

Seafaring is a market driven sector.

If you don’t pay enough people vote with their feet.

The votes have been overwhelmingly but the solution was to clamp hands over ears and sing la, la, la, la, la louder and louder.

At some point reality has to intrude that if you pay people very little you don’t get many people. And I’m afraid the old adage of – you pay peanuts you get…..does hold true.

Last edited 5 months ago by Supportive Bloke
Mike

This is a scandalous neglect of a vital and strategic asset. We need a high profile campaign to save the RFA, before the Chinese expose this fatal flaw.

Wayne

Yep I am qualified sqms in the army. Lefted in 2017.
Was told by RFA that does not count and offered me a trainee AB on 18K ayear..lol no thankyou