Ministry of Defence Guard Service

That this House salutes the professionalism and dedication of the Ministry of Defence Guard Service, which provides civilian security at most of the UK’s largest military bases; insists that MoD Guard Service (MGS) personnel should be celebrated for their vital contribution to the MoD, and that a culture of teamwork is best fostered through equitable terms and conditions of employment across the workforce; is concerned that the roll-out of Operational MGS Employment Contracts (OMEC) will see the creation of a two-tier workforce, with newly employed guards working significantly increased hours for less pay, and that the MoD anticipates a 14% reduction of the MGS workforce under OMEC; is further concerned that OMEC appears to be a step towards privatisation of MGS; notes that long working hours and fragmented security arrangements have been considered to be contributing factors to fatal security lapses at United Kingdom military bases in the past, yet there has been no risk analysis published on the potential impact on health, safety and welfare, nor has any Equal Pay Audit been provided; insists that the security of military bases is of paramount importance, and that operational changes to this section of the civilian MoD workforce must be achieved through detailed consideration in collaboration with the workforce and trades unions, not through hasty imposition by management; and urges the Government to support Unite the union’s call for the MoD to pause the OMEC roll-out to allow for further dialogue on the proposed contractual changes.