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Focus on you - Ministry of Defence

22 February 2010

PCS members work in hundreds of different government departments, agencies and private sector companies but we often struggle with the same issues. Each month we ask a different group of members "What is the best thing about working for the Ministry of Defence (MoD)?"

What is the best thing about working for the Ministry of Defence (MoD)?

It’s the people, without a doubt. The camaraderie and team spirit helps us provide frontline military personnel with the best possible support.

What are the main issues facing members in the MoD?

Politicians and the media are queuing up to attack our members. But most of the comments they make are ill informed and ignorant of the essential work we do. We are working hard to challenge these attacks.

All the main political parties are committed to carrying out a strategic defence review after the general election and are falling over themselves to make larger and larger cuts.

We will be trying to meet with the defence secretary and representatives from all the main political parties to explain the important role we play.

What are the top priorities for MoD members over the coming months?

The top priority is to ensure our members’ voices are heard in the debate around the strategic defence review.

We also plan to put forward the case for more civil servants, not less, in the MoD. This will include a programme of extra jobs for civilian staff and a review of non-deployable military personnel.

We will also work to ensure greater accountability and scrutiny in respect of the much criticised MoD equipment programme.

This is worth billions of pounds, some of which would be better spent elsewhere.

Finally, we will call for an end to the wasteful and failed privatisations, of which the MoD has far too many.

Can you tell us about any recent successes?

Against a backdrop of falling staff numbers, PCS membership in the MoD has risen every month for the past year. In 2009 we welcomed over 1,100 new members. Civil servants in the MoD recognise that we are the only ones willing to fight for decent pay, better job security and improved terms and conditions.

We have also welcomed the Ministry of Defence’s decision not to sell Kentigern House in Glasgow following a campaign by PCS members.

The sale would have cost the taxpayer £150m over the life of the 20 year lease.

Are there any practical ways readers can support MoD staff?

The MoD pages of the PCS website, www.pcs.org/MoD, are regularly updated, putting forward our views on the myriad of stories that appear in the media regarding the Ministry of Defence.

Please add this address to your internet favourites and keep up-to-date with what is happening in our department.

What does the Ministry of Defence do?

The MoD is the government department responsible for implementing government defence policy. It is also the headquarters of the British armed forces.

The MoD manages the day-to-day running of the armed forces, contingency planning and defence procurement. The civilian workforce – many of whom are PCS members – supports every function of the armed forces, up to and including, in the field.