FDA responds to MoD bonus criticisms

The FDA responded vigorously in today's media to criticisms of bonuses paid to civil servants in the Ministry of Defence.

In television appearances on the BBC News Channel, Sky, ITN and Channel 4, FDA general secretary Jonathan Baume said that the criticisms were unfair, with many of the payments being made to people serving alongside the military in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Speaking on the BBC News Channel, Baume said: "We are talking about tens of thousands of people working very hard to support our troops. It's a very wide range of technical and professional staff.

"The payments themselves are not bonuses in the way that most people would understand them. Part of the annual pay award includes a non-consolidated element, which means it doesn't get carried forward to the next year and [is non-pensionable], so it is cheaper for the tax payer."

He added: "Over the past few years, lots of jobs that were previous done by members of the armed forces have instead been done by civilians.

"These are jobs that in many countries are still done by the armed forces - and it costs may be half as much again to employ a soldier [rather than] a civilian."

Press release
Criticism of Ministry of Defence ‘bonuses’ is very unfair and misleading, says union

Video clip
BBC News clip of FDA general secretary - 12 November 2009