Changes to supervisory allowances in MOD

PCS works hard for you engaging with MOD, addressing issues affecting you, before they arise. PCS takes legal action seriously and uses it when we have a reasonable and cogent basis for doing so. Legal action may result in unhelpful precedents too, which is something we try to avoid.

The change affecting the allowances members receive for doing supervisory work has been published by MOD. The supervisory element is voluntary, the employer can withdraw the need to carry that out, you can also decline to volunteer and therefore withdraw your good will. MOD believes these are not contractual payments, and supervision is not a contractual requirement. Three allowances are being combined at one rate of 5%. The legal advice we have received is that UK law permits the employer to do this and court action will not challenge the change from MOD.

There are areas that we can engage in; there are also areas of UK law where the employer can introduce changes to your work without union agreement, that do not breach law or regulations. Defence has recently seen one of these changes around allowances and you have written to us to ask what can be done.

Advice on the legal position is that there is no breach of law and therefore no recourse via the courts. If this advice alters, we will let you know straight away. 

For now, we say to volunteer if you choose to, if you don’t agree with the changes to the allowance, your individual choice may be not to supervise further.