Coalition promotes reserves

While the government continues to hack away at employment protections for many workers, it seems to have a different approach in mind for military reservists.

In November last year, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) published a new consultation, Future reserves 2020: delivering the nation’s security together. In it, the government confirmed that it wants to increase the proportion of the armed forces that is made up of volunteers, in what seems to be a bid to run the military on the cheap.

To this end, it wants willing employers to make a public commitment to employing reservists by signing its Employers’ charter for the reserve forces. Under the charter, employers would agree to “promote opportunities to employ reservists”.

In addition to the charter and as of December 2012, government departments have been allowing 10 days’ paid leave to individuals undergoing reservist training. The government is also considering introducing new anti-discrimination legislation designed to prevent workers from being disadvantaged on the basis that they are reservists.

This generous approach contrasts with the way regular equality rights have been downgraded — and on the basis of cost-saving and reducing bureaucratic burdens. For example, in just the last few months, the government has announced the withdrawal of equality impact assessments and the scrapping of protection from third party harassment (see Labour Research, December 2012, page 19).