St Athans to save new labour letter

How many new jobs will be created?The decision to privatise the training of the UKs Armed Forces has drawn an angry response from the Public and Commercial Services Union, which warned the plans would result in a brain drain jeopardising future defence capability and see 2,000 staff transferred into a compulsory redundancy situation.
The £19bn contract handed to the Metrix consortium by the Ministry of Defence will see training in everything from tank driving to technology handed to the private sector in a deal resulting in the closure of more than 19 sites with training centred on one site at St Athan.
The union raised doubts about the number of new jobs that would actually be created by Metrix in Wales with existing staff transferring to St Athan from around the country.
The union also warned of a loss of specialist knowledge and expertise with 80 per cent of specialist instructional officers indicating that they would be unwilling to move from across the country to St Athan.
Mark Serwotka, PCS general secretary said: 'The only winners in the privatisation of defence training are the shareholders of the Metrix consortium.
'The massive privatisation will further anger dedicated staff already facing job losses and below inflation pay, making a yes vote for national industrial action across the civil service increasingly likely.'
This is a blatant attempt to save the Labour party prior to the National Assembly elections.
SMorgan Rogers, Highbury Park, London