'Disgust and outrage' as huge MoD headcount reduction plan is announced to MPs before staff

Unions demand urgent meeting with perm sec and defence secretary over 5,000-plus headcount reduction trailed at select committee

By Jim Dunton

22 Nov 2024

Civil service unions have reacted with anger after Ministry of Defence permanent secretary David Williams revealed to MPs that the department is looking to cut more than 5,000 jobs before before staff had been told.

Williams' revelation came at a session of parliament's Defence Select Committee yesterday morning when he was asked for more detail on plans for the department to become "leaner" referenced by defence secretary John Healey in a statement the previous day.

The perm sec told MPs he expected the MoD to have a headcount at least 10% lower than the current 56,800 in five years time, despite singling some areas of work out for growth. Williams said there were "no plans for specific redundancy programmes" yet.

Civil Service World was the first to report Williams' comments.

A letter from the Ministry of Defence Council of Civil Service Unions – which brings together PCS, the civil service's biggest union, Prospect, the FDA, Unite and GMB – said the organisations have been left to manage "disgust and outrage" from members without advance discussion.

The letter, seen by CSW, says: "This public announcement of so-called efficiency, by cuts to the civil service workforce which arguably provides the most cost-effective workforce, without prior engagement with the unions representing that workforce, is at best concerning. At worst it indicates an ideological desire to attack the civil service regardless of the harm."

It adds that "gaps" in some MoD service areas are already a threat to national security and suggests that yesterday's announcement could "heighten concern" in relation to those risks.

The unions are seeking an urgent meeting with Williams and Healey to discuss yesterday's announcement. The MCSU letter states that union representatives are struggling to answer members' questions about the plans because of the department's "lack of engagement via any means".

"Hugely disrespectful"

PCS general secretary Fran Heathcote said Williams' comments had been a bolt from the blue.

"We had been given no warning this was coming," she said. "To announce job cuts in parliament and talk about 10% of MoD jobs being lost as a ‘jumping-off point’ is hugely disrespectful to our hard-working members, who deserve better from their employer.

"Our members in the MoD are doing essential work in keeping the country running and we shall not let them, or other dedicated public servants pay the price for the previous government’s financial black hole.

"We demand an urgent meeting with ministers to get to the bottom of what is happening at the MoD. PCS will fight for every job because we believe our members’ commitment should be recognised and rewarded, not dismissed in the Houses of Parliament."

Prospect general secretary Mike Clancy said Williams had questions to answer about his conduct.

"The permanent secretary will need to explain why the last people to know about plans to cut MoD staff are the staff themselves and their representatives," he said.

"It’s not acceptable to explain this away as a general response to government efficiency objectives as it's an announcement without any prior engagement and indicates the department has worked up plans that are opaque."

FDA general secretary Dave Penman said civilian staff in the MoD "deserve better" than an announcement of a 10% reduction in staffing with no notice, no consultation and no detail.

"Those civil servants will be tasked with delivering the Strategic Defence Review when resources are tight and the challenges only increasing," he said. "That’s why meaningful engagement and consultation is essential if the government is to deliver on its ambitions."

CSW asked the MoD for its response to the unions' concerns.

An MoD spokesperson said: "We are building a defence civil service workforce which will be more skilled, agile and which exploits technology better. That means tackling bureaucracy and streamlining processes to increase productivity.

"Whilst it is expected this will result in a leaner civilian workforce, there is no headcount target and as was made clear to the committee, no plans for redundancies."

This story was updated at 14:55 on 22 November 2024 to include  a response from the MoD

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