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'Predator miners' poaching sub crews
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/st ... 77,00.html
Cameron Stewart | March 11, 2008
CASHED-UP mining companies were lying in wait outside naval bases to
poach submariners, fuelling a critical shortfall in crews for the Collins
class submarines.
Defence Minister Joel Fitzgibbon confirmed the extent of the problem
revealed in The Australian yesterday and blamed the former government for
the recruitment crisis.
Mr Fitzgibbon said not enough was done to stem the problem early and that
the issue loomed as the "single biggest challenge facing the Australian
Defence Force".
The Australian revealed yesterday that only half of Australia's submarine
fleet can be sent to war because of a desperate shortage of submariners.
There are at present only enough crews to man three of the six Collins
class boats, gravely undermining the effectiveness of the $6 billion
submarine arm.
Mr Fitzgibbon said submariners had many of the same technical skills
required by mining companies, and the resources boom was leading to
predatory poaching.
"We know that mining companies in Western Australia, for example, hover
around (the submarine headquarters) HMAS Stirling on pay day, seeking and
hoping to pick up technicians to use in their own industry," hesaid.
"We are struggling on the manning front in terms of submarines, and we
need to do a lot better - it's one of the biggest challenges facing the
navy."
Brendan Nelson, Mr Fitzgibbon's predecessor as defence minister, said
more money may be needed to help keep submariners in the navy.
"If you're an engineer on a sub and you're pulling $80,000 a year and
you've got three kids to feed - if you've got somebody at the gate of the
base offering $130,000 to drive a truck, I mean seriously what are you
going to do?" the Opposition Leader said.
But Mr Fitzgibbon said that the Government was unable to compete against
the mining industry on salaries alone.
"Therefore we need to put additional incentives in staying, things that
make the navy, or any service, more interesting for people, things that
help families, for example, deal with the challenges of being part of the
service. It's not just about remuneration."
Submariners already get bonuses above those in other services and arms of
the navy, with starting salaries of $80,000 growing quickly as they rise
through the ranks.
In its last two years in office, the Howard government lifted military
salaries in an effort to stem the flow of taxpayer-trained personnel into
the private sector, but it was unable to stem the exodus from the navy.
Mr Fitzgibbon said the efforts of the Howard government were too little
too late.
"We really are behind the eight-ball now - the former government was
asleep at the wheel here, we needed to be investing more heavily a lot
earlier and finding new and innovative ways to recruit people and retain
those who we've already invested so heavily in," he said.
Recruitment would be addressed as part of the forthcoming defence White
Paper, but Mr Fitzgibbon foreshadowed initiatives before this, saying the
Government needed to move urgently on the issue.
He said Defence Science and Personnel Minister Warren Snowden was
focusing "almost entirely" on the recruitment crisis.
While the navy says that submarines meet operational requirements, the
shortage of crews has robbed the service of the flexibility it needs in a
case of a military contingency.
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/st ... 77,00.html
Cameron Stewart | March 11, 2008
CASHED-UP mining companies were lying in wait outside naval bases to
poach submariners, fuelling a critical shortfall in crews for the Collins
class submarines.
Defence Minister Joel Fitzgibbon confirmed the extent of the problem
revealed in The Australian yesterday and blamed the former government for
the recruitment crisis.
Mr Fitzgibbon said not enough was done to stem the problem early and that
the issue loomed as the "single biggest challenge facing the Australian
Defence Force".
The Australian revealed yesterday that only half of Australia's submarine
fleet can be sent to war because of a desperate shortage of submariners.
There are at present only enough crews to man three of the six Collins
class boats, gravely undermining the effectiveness of the $6 billion
submarine arm.
Mr Fitzgibbon said submariners had many of the same technical skills
required by mining companies, and the resources boom was leading to
predatory poaching.
"We know that mining companies in Western Australia, for example, hover
around (the submarine headquarters) HMAS Stirling on pay day, seeking and
hoping to pick up technicians to use in their own industry," hesaid.
"We are struggling on the manning front in terms of submarines, and we
need to do a lot better - it's one of the biggest challenges facing the
navy."
Brendan Nelson, Mr Fitzgibbon's predecessor as defence minister, said
more money may be needed to help keep submariners in the navy.
"If you're an engineer on a sub and you're pulling $80,000 a year and
you've got three kids to feed - if you've got somebody at the gate of the
base offering $130,000 to drive a truck, I mean seriously what are you
going to do?" the Opposition Leader said.
But Mr Fitzgibbon said that the Government was unable to compete against
the mining industry on salaries alone.
"Therefore we need to put additional incentives in staying, things that
make the navy, or any service, more interesting for people, things that
help families, for example, deal with the challenges of being part of the
service. It's not just about remuneration."
Submariners already get bonuses above those in other services and arms of
the navy, with starting salaries of $80,000 growing quickly as they rise
through the ranks.
In its last two years in office, the Howard government lifted military
salaries in an effort to stem the flow of taxpayer-trained personnel into
the private sector, but it was unable to stem the exodus from the navy.
Mr Fitzgibbon said the efforts of the Howard government were too little
too late.
"We really are behind the eight-ball now - the former government was
asleep at the wheel here, we needed to be investing more heavily a lot
earlier and finding new and innovative ways to recruit people and retain
those who we've already invested so heavily in," he said.
Recruitment would be addressed as part of the forthcoming defence White
Paper, but Mr Fitzgibbon foreshadowed initiatives before this, saying the
Government needed to move urgently on the issue.
He said Defence Science and Personnel Minister Warren Snowden was
focusing "almost entirely" on the recruitment crisis.
While the navy says that submarines meet operational requirements, the
shortage of crews has robbed the service of the flexibility it needs in a
case of a military contingency.