Whats up with the RNZAF now???

[Chris F]

Yes old car park situation....now that is a postive.

[30sqnatc]

Jun 24, 2011 15:23:23 GMT 12 Dave Homewood said:

Positives will be there will be more carparks on base.

Spare on base parking Haven't you heard Hmmm I'd better let your Boss tell you about the plan for that

[nige]

Move to 'civilianise' could cost 200 jobs
JONATHON HOWE
Last updated 12:00 24/06/2011

Manawatu military staff could face redundancies next week when the Defence Force unveils cost-saving measures changing uniformed jobs into civilian roles.

Defence Minister Wayne Mapp told the defence select committee at Parliament yesterday that 324 New Zealand Defence Force jobs previously held by uniformed staff would be advertised next Thursday as civilian positions.

The jobs are being done by 512 military staff, so nearly 200 people could face the unemployment queue, while the rest will be asked to reapply for their jobs.

A similar round of cuts is expected later this year.

About 1400 jobs are expected to be "civilianised" in the next two to three years – a move Dr Mapp said would save about $30 million. The number of affected staff in the wider Manawatu region, which includes the Linton, Ohakea and Waiouru bases, has not been released, but staff are expected to receive notices about their jobs on Wednesday.

A list of 275 civilianised positions obtained by the Manawatu Standard revealed a range of jobs were being changed, including transport managers, storemen, instructors, photographers, finance officers, chefs, quartermasters, drivers, stewards, administration staff, technical advisers and stock controllers.

Labour Defence spokesman and Palmerston North MP Iain Lees-Galloway slammed the Government's handling of the plans.

"It's not a good time to be in the army, air force or navy, unfortunately. What both the minister and the Chief of Defence Force admitted was that morale has significantly dropped. There's so many people being unnecessarily put into positions where their future is uncertain."

Mr Lees-Galloway was concerned about the impact job losses would have on the Manawatu economy.

"It looks as though there will be job losses in our region. It's a terrible time to lose your job. To join the thousands of other unemployed people at the moment must be a daunting prospect. "Whether these people will be able to stay in our region or find work in our region is a concern."

The Manawatu region's "good" mix of public and private sector employment was in jeopardy, he said.

"The public sector is under attack from all directions at the moment. We've already seen it at the university and we've seen it at the hospital. It's a very stressful and worrying time for our region.

www.stuff.co.nz/manawatu-standard/news/5188264/Move-to-civilianise-could-cost-200-jobs

[skyhawkdon]

Amazing what short memories Labour MPs have isn't it...

[strikemaster]

Yeah, they rely on it, Don. That and the short memory of constituents. I got no problem with firing public servant's, just not from the Military. Can anyone think of jobs in Wellywood that could go instead?

[nige]

Well Labour need to stop politiking - that's all they are doing, which is to add the NZDF civilianisation issue into Labour's attack on National for shedding public service jobs eg DoC etc.

Fact is, NZDF is making certain occupations re-apply for jobs although available positions have been reduced. Yes there will be redundancies, which is very,very regrettable, but most personnel will be re-employed (but as a civilian).

In contrast to 2001, Labour scrapped 700+ RNZAF jobs and near all of them did not have a NZDF "civilian" position to go to the next day.

[Chris F]

They could have saved $500,000 by not allowing a bi-election in Northland six months out from a General election.Now Hone is on the road with his pay increase campaigning around the country and has allowed a Green MP his vote in Parliament.
The cost savings should start in Wellington first!

[motoxjase]

Jun 24, 2011 10:05:52 GMT 12 Chris F said:

Dave the general public do understand and care about our entire Defense Force and it's future.
The work they have done in Christchurch is testamount to their worth of all New Zealanders.
I am truely ashamed at the way the political masters treat the NZDF and it is hard to see any future for them apart from an all in one coast guard service.
As for the kids of today they either want to be professional sportspeople earning the big dosh or stay at home playing playstation while their parents support them.
It really is a sad nana state!

My son is Aviation mad, flies twice a month and his life revolves around Aviation and MotoX and there are plenty of kids who are aviation mad out there so the RNZAF should be concentrating on these kids coming through instead of taking ex-RAF guys.
If NZ hooks up with OZ with regards to closer defence ties and heads down the path of buying a fast type prop plane then I think more young kids in the future will see the RNZAF as an option

[lesterpk]

Defence job cuts announced today.

And so it starts....
www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/5205246/Defence-job-cuts-announcement-today

[Chris F]

Very sad.

[strikemaster]

Less than 5%? Shit, that's a big number for a small force.

[Dave Homewood]

From the Stuff article above:
"the Defence Force said that many of those who have lost their jobs were encouraged to apply for civilian roles."

Probably 100% of them will need to find civilian jobs, only many of them not working for the NZDF.

My thoughts are with those who have had their careers they have been so dedicated to simply whipped out from under them, and for their families too.

I had thought the NZDF would be on a better path when Goff was gone and Mapp got in but he has proven to be as bad as Labour in handling his portfolio. He needs to grow some balls and get the treasury to fund Defence properly, not continue to snip, snip, snip.

Also from the article:
"It expected that there would be 500 fewer military personnel by the end of the year with $40 million a year saved on payroll."

By my recknoning that means per person of thse 500 they are saving $80,000. What? And that is with around 300 of them staying on on civilian wages? It either doesn't add up or the pay in the NZDF is much better than it used to be.

[fyl]

Sad times, i always thought of the NZDF as a career rather than just a 'job'...very painful for those 'shown the door' as well as those left, as who knows where it'll stop..

From the NZDF website...

Defence Force rebalances structure

29 June 2011

The New Zealand Defence Force is today advising 308 military personnel that they are no longer required in uniform and will be released in order to rebalance the workforce.

Chief of Defence Force Lieutenant General Rhys Jones says, “To be an agile and responsive Defence Force we need to ensure we have the right people with the right skills in the right role.”

The rebalancing is part of the process to implement the Total Defence Workforce approach set out in the Government’s Defence White Paper released late last year. This will ensure the Defence Force has the right number of people performing military roles to support the force structure and capability, and the right balance of civilians in civilian roles.

”Since the release of the Defence White Paper we have determined which roles need to be performed by military people with military training, skills and experience, and which can be performed by civilians. We have also determined the numbers of military personnel we need across our ranks, trades, and branches in order to meet our current and future operational requirements.

“Today we are taking the first steps towards rebalancing and reshaping the Defence Force to take us through to 2035.”

“While those who registered their interest in applying for civilian positions will welcome the decision, this is a difficult day for the Defence Force. Our people remain the heart of our military capability.

“We have a robust support and retraining process in place on each camp and base to help these people make the transition from military to civilian life.”

The NZ Defence Force has a comprehensive personnel support structure made up of career managers and Well-being teams, as well as chaplains and psychologists, already in place at each camp and base and they can assist our people today.

To date the Defence Force has identified about 280 military roles that are to be civilianised. Military personnel who are being released will be strongly encouraged to apply for these newly civilianised roles or other vacancies within the Defence Force.

This means that by the end of this year, through this process as well as natural attrition, there will be approximately 500 fewer military personnel.

LTGEN Jones assures the public of New Zealand that these decisions affect less than 5% of total military personnel. He says, “The New Zealand Defence Force has over 9300 military personnel who remain ready and able to meet operational requirements both here and overseas.”

ENDS

For further information contact: Chris Wright [phone], [phone]

Questions and Answers
1.Are military people who are currently deployed on operations being released?

No. Those currently deployed on operations have not been considered in this process.

2.What roles are being civilianised?

They are roles that do not need to be performed by a military person with military skills, training and experience. They include drivers, instructors, photographers, logistics and administrative personnel.

3.Has the Defence budget been cut?

No, Government has not cut our budget. Like every government-funded organisation we are considering how we spend our budget so we are reprioritising and reallocating expenditure, and actively identifying ways to be more efficient and effective.


4.Will there be further civilianisation?

Yes there will be a further tranche by mid next year and potentially more following that.

5.How many personnel are currently deployed?

As at 14 June, 706 personnel were deployed on peacekeeping duties, UN mission and Defence exercises. There are also 41 personnel on overseas postings.

6.Will those impacted received redundancy?

If they do not choose to apply for the newly civilianised roles, or are not appointed to a role, then yes.

7.What is the impact of today’s announcement by Service and rank?

By Service:

Service
Current no.
No. impacted

Navy
2119
71

Army
4920
155

Air Force
2579
82

Total Regular Force Personnel
9618
308

By rank:

The 308 is made up of 81 Officers (5.4% of impacted ranks) and 227 Other Ranks (4.5% of impacted ranks).

[Dave Homewood]

"Chief of Defence Force Lieutenant General Rhys Jones says, “To be an agile and responsive Defence Force we need to ensure we have the right people with the right skills in the right role.”

Funnily enough looking back at my years in the RNZAF I cannot actually recall ever thinking there were too many people in any section at that time, or that there were people not skilled enough in their roles to make a difference. And we had two to three times as many staff then in the Air Force, yet many sections still seemed critically undermanned for the amount of work.

Mind you there were one or two Suppliers who did seem more than surplus to requirements due to their obstructive attitudes to everything, and the Officers' Mess Stewards would easily have been made redundant if officers were trained how to serve themselves like the rest of the RNZAF. But that's all.

So when he thinks there are people standing round with fingers up date, he must be thinking of the Army?

[errolmartyn]

"The 308 is made up of 81 Officers (5.4% of impacted ranks) and 227 Other Ranks (4.5% of impacted ranks)."

'Impacted'? I think not. Affected maybe, but not impacted. Whoever wrote that shouldn't be working for the NZDF in the first place (though I note also that young wannabe media types are also overfond of wrongly using the word of late).

Errol

[strikemaster]

The figure of income's saved, I wonder if that includes subcontracting the same roles and requirements? I'd doubt it. Talk about robbing Peter to pay Paul.

[Chris F]

2011 RNZAF personnel numbers:2579
1991 RNZAF personnel numbers:4200

2011 RNZAF Aircraft numbers:48 that includes NH90/A109 and excludes UH-1/sioux
1991 RNZAF Aircraft numbers:107 that includes the macchis and excludes the strikemaster.

In 20 years we have cut 40% of RNZAF personnel.
and 56% of the aircraft fleet retired.

I really dont want to know what the next 20 years holds!

[awol]

2011 RNZAF Aircraft numbers:48 that includes NH90/A109 and excludes UH-1/sioux

The CT-4 is leased and civil maintained, as is the King Air. We can discount the Tiger Moth and Harvard as non-productive, and the Sea Sprite is primarily considered a Naval asset. What is the RNZAF left with?

The answer is about 29 operational aircraft in 2012, by my reckoning.

[beagle]

Jun 29, 2011 13:52:24 GMT 12 Dave Homewood said:

"

the Officers' Mess Stewards would easily have been made redundant if officers were trained how to serve themselves like the rest of the RNZAF.

Racing cars up runways, throwing piano's off bridges.
there were reasons officers were not taught to serve themselves.
Not ALL officers are a part of this post

[Ykato]

Defence Force cuts 'outrageous abuse of power'

The axing of 308 Defence Force military staff is an outrageous abuse of power and could not happen if they were covered by standard employment law, the Council of Trade Unions (CTU) says.

"It’s fine for the Defence Force to restructure, but to then make these workers apply for their own jobs on the open market is simply orchestrating what would be an unfair dismissal in any other normal business, and these men and women deserve more respect than that," she said.
www.nbr.co.nz/article/defence-force-cuts-outrageous-abuse-power-ctu-ck-96173