UK cut staff hours at key naval base responding to Cyprus drone strike

LONDON — Britain’s Ministry of Defence signed a contract last year ending around-the-clock staffing at a key naval base, which a union representing defense workers says is contributing to the delays deploying to defend Cyprus as the Middle East crisis escalates.

Warship HMS Dragon is at the center of a row over Britain’s response to the targeting of its Royal Air Force base on Cyprus. The vessel is being prepared for deployment to the Mediterranean, but will not be able to sail until next week. Cyprus has accused Britain of being too slow in its response as it faces active drone threats.

The Type 45 destroyer needed maintenance welding, requiring weapons to be removed and reinstalled.

But a trade union representing defense workers in the U.K. is now arguing that government efforts to slash costs by reducing staffing at His Majesty’s Naval Base Portsmouth, home of HMS Dragon, are to blame.

That position was disputed by the private contractor leading on the site as well as the MOD, which said that its service requests have been fulfilled by the contractor, Serco, and that work is proceeding “at pace” to get HMS Dragon ready to deploy.

“All requests that have been made to Serco to support the preparation of the ship have been fulfilled,” an MoD spokesman told POLITICO.

9-5 with overtime

In May last year, the MoD awarded a new deal to private firm Serco for in-port services at Portsmouth. This reduced capacity, ending around-the-clock staffing in favor of the site shifting to 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekday hours.

Prospect union, which represents tug boat workers and engineers at the ship’s base in Portsmouth, argued that the reduction in hours meant it had taken longer to mobilize the necessary workforce and prepare the HMS Dragon for deployment.

Mike Clancy, general secretary of Prospect, said: “Our members are stepping up to help, but such a vital service shouldn’t be dependent on good will from staff. Out-of-hours support should be locked into the contract.

“This contract has failed its first real encounter with a serious crisis, and must be urgently reviewed and rectified.”

The union said its members at Serco Marine Services have had to come forward to offer to work evenings and weekends to get the destroyer ready following events in the Middle East. Workers went on strike last year in protest of the new contract, warning that it would not stand up to operational pressure.

MoD and Serco representatives disputed the union’s position, saying that while hours had been reduced, the contract had always provided for overtime and weekend working.

Prospect union, which represents tug boat workers and engineers at the ship’s base in Portsmouth, argued that the reduction in hours meant it had taken longer to mobilize the necessary workforce and prepare the HMS Dragon for deployment. | Peter Titmuss/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

A Serco spokesperson said: “HMS Dragon is being prepared to sail with the full support of our dedicated teams in Portsmouth.

“Serco has fulfilled every task requested by the Royal Navy on time and to the agreed standard. Any suggestion that the working patterns of Serco employees have impacted HMS Dragon’s ability to sail is completely untrue.”

The fight to cut costs

Portsmouth News reported that the MoD sought to make a £250 million saving from its previous £1.2 billion agreement with the contractor. Serco’s current deal is worth £1 billion across three contracts.

The MoD is in an ongoing battle to cut costs while protecting key capabilities.

The department is currently locked in a standoff with the Treasury over a flagship investment plan, and previously wrote to major suppliers asking them to identify opportunities for budget cuts as the government sought to ease the pressure on its finances.

British Defence Secretary John Healey flew to Cyprus Thursday to help dampen criticism of the U.K.’s response to drone attacks on the RAF base on the island.

Cyprus’s High Commissioner to the U.K. Kyriacos Kouros told Sky News: “We have the presence of Greek forces on the island. The French are coming, so the least we expect is the Britons to also be present.”

The MoD said that as of Thursday, 400 additional U.K. personnel are supporting air defense activities.

Dan Bloom contributed reporting.