NEARLY 1000 soldiers face compulsory redundancy as part of defence
cuts announced by the Government yesterday.
It is the first time lower ranks have been forced to quit in the
current round of cuts.
The compulsory redundancies, which have provoked outrage among MPs
from all parties, are among a total of 7015 job losses as part of the
third and final round of Army cuts under Options for Change, the defence
spending review.
The Army also disclosed that from April, it would have almost 12,000
full-time vacancies to fill, a 20% increase on the previous recruiting
target.
Asked how this could be justified, given the compulsory redundancies,
the Adjutant General, General Sir Michael Wilkes, said ''age bulges''
had to be ironed out.
The Army refused to say whether any of the 953 soldiers and 142
officers being forced to quit were serving in Bosnia. They will be told
today.
However, a Downing Street official confirmed that a number -- ''only
just into double figures'' -- of soldiers in the war zone had been
selected for compulsory redundancy.
Labour's defence spokesman Dr David Clark described the cuts as ''a
national disgrace''. ''I am furious that the Government is prepared to
treat our servicemen and women in such a disgraceful way,'' he added.
Mr Menzies Campbell, the Liberal Democrat defence spokesman, described
the announcement as ''foolish and insensitive''.
There was also anger on the Government's own backbenches. Mr Winston
Churchill, a senior member of the all-party Select Committee on Defence,
said: ''We called on the Government last year not only to cease these
cuts but possibly to reverse them.''
Army chiefs regard as inevitable the fact that some soldiers in Bosnia
would have to be told their jobs were being axed.
The same thing happened to a number of officers serving in the war
zone last year.
At a news briefing in London, Sir Michael refused to give details
about where the axe would fall before soldiers were informed by their
superiors.
He said it would be unfair to exclude troops from the cuts just
because they were serving in Bosnia.
''Any redundancy phase is bound to be a very painful one. We don't
like it any more than the workforce does,'' Sir Michael said.
The redundancy packages will cost the taxpayer millions of pounds.
Under the redundancy terms, troops laid off after 12 years' service
get an immediate pension, a redundancy grant, and a ''special capital
grant'' of up to 18 months' pay tax-free.
For a corporal with 20 years' service this translates into a lump sum
of #23,780 plus an annual pension of #4741.
At the other end of the scale, a Lieutenant Colonel aged 45 would get
a lump sum of #107,323 plus an annual pension of #15,037.
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