Families angry at £300m MoD bonuses
source by email
Families whose loved ones made the ultimate sacrifice for their country
have reacted angrily to news that civil servants at the Ministry of Defence
have shared performance bonuses of almost £300 million since the start of
the war in Iraq.
Official MoD figures show a total of £287,809,049 has been paid out in
bonuses to civil servants since 2003, including more than £47 million this
year.
Bereaved families said the bonuses were "absolutely disgusting" while
troops were "making do" in Afghanistan. Hazel Hunt, whose son died in
August, said it was "obscene" that troops were being "short-changed".
Private Richard Hunt, 21, was injured following an explosion while on
vehicle patrol for the 2nd Battalion the Royal Welsh in Helmand Province
and died in hospital two days later.
Mrs Hunt said: "I would take great exception to bonuses paid for
'exceptional performance'. They are not delivering and I think it is obscene
they have got such bonuses while our troops are being short changed; not
only in equipment but also in the fact that my son was barely on £17,000 a
year.
Phil Cooper - whose son Jamie received £200,000 in compensation for
injuries received in Iraq while aged just 18 - said it was "absolutely
disgusting that they can do this from the safety of their armchairs".
The MoD said the bonuses - going to around 50,000 staff - would average
less than £1,000 this year. But some senior officials may be receiving as
much as £8,000, according to reports.
Home Secretary Alan Johnson said civil servants in the Ministry of Defence
did "difficult and sometimes dangerous" jobs which in some cases
warranted a bonus.
Prospect, which represents 10,000 MoD civil servants condemned the
"witch-hunt" by the media over the payment of bonuses.
National secretary Steve Jary said: "These bonuses represent 2.8% of the
pay bill which has been removed from basic pay progressively over the last
eight years. This is in line with 20 years of government policy to increase
the use of performance pay in the civil service. If civil servants were not
doing some of the work in MoD, it would be done by military staff - at twice
the cost to the taxpayer."
Last Updated: Thursday, 12 November 2009, 12:31 GMT
