The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Redundancy threat for RAF staff
MORE THAN 130 civilian employees at RAF Leuchars were yesterday told they face potential redundancy, although some could be kept on.
Around 120Air Command civil servants and around 12 firefighters were told that their roles were now the subject of a formal consultation as Leuchars continues its transition from an RAF to an army base.
A spokesperson for RAF Leuchars told The Courier: “Following the approval of a ministerial submission, Air Command is about to start a period of formal consultation with the trade unions for approximately 120 Air Command civil servants and around 12 defence fire and risk management organisation firefighters.
“The number of those affected will likely reduce during the consultation period as the army requirement for civilian personnel becomes clearer.
“Furthermore detailed work on the use of Leuchars as a diversionary runway may also result in further reductions to the number of surplus staff.
“Air Command have received agreement in principle from the Cabinet Office to offer a targeted voluntary early release scheme for affected civilian staff.”
Redundancy support teams are working with staff as the RAF prepares to wind up its operations to make way for the army.
Army personnel are expected to start arriving in Leuchars in June next year, with the RAF’s official handover date understood to be March 31 2015.
Civilian staff will not have the option of transferring to Lossiemouth or other RAF stations without going through a recruitment process.
Reductions in the number of civil servants will first be managed through a targeted voluntary early release scheme and then voluntary redundancy, before compulsory redundancy is considered.
Between 800 and 850 army personnel will move to Leuchars next year.
RAF Leuchars’ Typhoon squadrons are due to leave the base for Lossiemouth between June and September.
The RAF Regiment is set to return to Leuchars from Afghanistan before being disbanded.