Gurkhas to receive British Terms and Conditions of Service
8 Mar 07
Gurkha terms and conditions of service will be broadly the same as their counterparts in the wider Army, Derek Twigg MP, the Under Secretary of State for Defence and Veterans Minister, announced on Thursday 8 March 2007.
Gurkha soldiers of The Queen's Own Gurkha Logistic Regiment, on parade for the ceremony of Kasam Khane (the swearing of the oath of allegiance to the Queen and Regiment by recruits) and the re-titling of 1 Transport Squadron, July 2005
[Picture: Chris Fletcher]
Gurkhas already enjoy the same pay and tax benefits as the wider Army, but today’s move will mean serving Gurkhas and those who retired on or after 1 July 1997 will have the opportunity to transfer from their Gurkha Pension Scheme to the main Armed Forces Pension Scheme.
Mr Twigg, Under Secretary of State for Defence and Veterans Minister, announced that the significant improvements to the terms and conditions of service for Gurkhas will bring them in line with the rest of the British Army, with certain exceptions which satisfy the Nepal Government.
Gurkhas who have served for at least five years will have the opportunity to transfer to other units within the wider Army to pursue their chosen career path.
They will also have the same leave entitlements as the rest of the Army, 30 days leave. This will replace the unpaid Nepal Longer Leave of five months every three years. Work is also underway to see how women can be recruited into the Brigade of Gurkhas for the first time.
There will also be new benefits in respect of Gurkha nationality and status, wider employment and transfer within the Army, recruitment, selection and training, and welfare and child education.
This announcement follows a far-reaching review of Gurkha terms and conditions of service. All ranks in the Brigade of Gurkhas will benefit from the new measures.
Derek Twigg said:
"This is the right thing to do. As a Government, we have continually sought to ensure equality amongst our workforce here in the UK and I’m delighted to announce it today.
"The improved terms and conditions of service will form the basis for continued Gurkha service in the British Army, which is made possible by the long-standing and friendly relations between the Governments and peoples of the United Kingdom and Nepal."
The Chief of the General Staff, General Sir Richard Dannatt, said:
"This is a historic day for the Brigade of Gurkhas. I am delighted that serving Gurkhas will have the same terms and conditions of service as their counterparts in the wider Army. Their contribution to operations around the world has been and will continue to be a major contribution to Britain’s Defence commitments.”
The Colonel Commandment of the Brigade of Gurkhas, Lieutenant General Sir Philip Trousdell, said:
"I welcome the results of the review and the positive outcome that it delivers for the Brigade of Gurkhas. It meets the needs and aspirations of the modern Gurkha soldier based n the UK, Brunei and Nepal, and those currently deployed on operations. The review will ensure that the Brigade continues to contribute effectively to current and future operations whilst maintaining its unique characteristics.”
Gurkhas will still retain the unique identity of the Brigade of Gurkhas and will be recruited in Nepal and serve as Nepalese citizens within the British Army.
We have worked closely with the Government of Nepal to ensure that they were content with these changes to the terms and conditions of service. They have welcomed these changes.
A detailed breakdown of the changes to Gurkha terms and conditions of service can be found below:
1. Nationality and Status
- Gurkhas will continue to be selected and recruited in Nepal, and remain as Nepalese citizens throughout their service. Service will be in formed units consisting entirely of Gurkhas, except for British officers and a few specialists, and units will be part of the Brigade of Gurkhas (BG). Only Gurkhas will be recruited to these units. At the end of their service, Gurkhas will be offered the choice of discharge in Nepal or in UK.
2. Wider Employment & Transfer
- Gurkha soldiers will be eligible to apply for transfer to Regiments and Corps outside the BG, on the same terms as the rest of the Army, having served a minimum period of 5 years service in BG.
3. Recruitment and Selection
- Recruiting and selection of Gurkhas will remain in Nepal and will be owned and managed by the Army Recruitment and Training Division (ARTD). Recruiting and selection standards for Gurkhas will be aligned with British selection arrangements, in due course, following further study. Part of that study will examine the feasibility of Nepalese women being recruited into the Brigade of Gurkhas non-infantry units.
4. Training
- The current Gurkha training regime will be retained for the time being while ARTD lead a programme aimed at alignment with the UK training regime. ARTD will also commence a programme to develop an acceptable training regime for Gurkha women within the current British training structure for women.
5. Pay & Allowances
- Gurkha pay will adopt full UK rates. The same applies to commissioned Gurkhas who will be assimilated on to the normal Army officer pay scales. Re-employed Retired Gurkha Officers are to be assimilated on to FTRS Home Commitment pay scales.
6. Leave of Absence
- Gurkhas are to be provided with the same leave arrangements as for British soldiers. Similar alignment will include all types of special leave such as parental leave, career breaks, and carers’ leave. Consequentially, the practice of Nepal Long Leave (NLL) will cease.
- Gurkhas with less than 3 years service will have the option of having the “Get You Home (Early Years)(Overseas Allowance) – GYH(EY)(OA)” package, which assists young soldiers from overseas to maintain contact with their overseas families.
7. Pensions
- Gurkhas recruited after 1 December 2006 will join the Armed Forces Pension Scheme 2005 (AFPS 05).
- Gurkhas serving on 1 October 2007 who joined on or after 6 April 2005 but before 6 April 2006 (i.e. the 2006 intake) will be offered the option to transfer from the Gurkha Pension Scheme (GPS) to AFPS 05.
- Gurkhas serving on 1 October 2007 who were serving before 6 April 2005 will be offered the option to transfer from GPS to either AFPS 75 or AFPS 05.
- Gurkhas who retired between 1 July 1997 and 5 April 2006 will be offered the option to transfer to AFPS 75 or remain in the GPS. Those who retired after 6 April 2006, but before 1 October 2007, will be offered the options to transfer to AFPS 75 or AFPS 05 or remain in the GPS.
- Gurkhas transferring from GPS to AFPS are to be given actuarial value for any service before 1 July 1997, but service given on or after 1 July 1997 will be transferred on a year-for-year basis.
8. Welfare and Education
- Gurkha children will have the same educational opportunities as their British counterparts.
- Additional welfare support staff will be available to the Army Welfare Service to cope with the additional family welfare issues relating to the introduction of Gurkha MAS.
- Aftercare provision for Gurkhas and their dependants will be the same as that available for British personnel.
- Present establishment of Religious teachers (RTs) – often referred to as Pandits – will be increased from 3 to 9.
- The present special cultural support provided within Gurkha units will continue.
- Headquarters Brigade of Gurkhas secretariat support will be reinforced to become the focus for the provision of Benevolence and Welfare Support to Gurkha ex-servicemen in UK.