The Local Government Associations of England, Scotland and Wales today pledged their support for the Reserve Forces and urged local authorities across the UK to consider how they help their Reservist employees balance their civilian and military commitments.
The pledge follows a recent fact-finding visit to Afghanistan by Sir Steve Bullock (Chairman, Local Government Employers, part of the Local Government Association) and Cllr Lindsay Whittle (Spokesperson, Welsh Local Government Association). During the three-day visit, they saw first-hand the vital role Reservists are playing and met a number of Reservists who work for local authorities. The visit was arranged by the MOD's SaBRE campaign as part of its Employers Abroad programme which aims to build support from employers for the Reserve Forces.
Currently 222 local authorities across the UK have declared their support for the Reserve Forces, signing up to SaBRE's 'supportive employers' online listing. It is hoped the high-profile backing of the Local Government Associations will encourage more to declare their support.
We hope the backing of the Local Government Associations will send a strong message to local authorities across the UK about the importance of their support for the Reserve Forces. We are pleased that already 222 local authorities have signed up as supportive employers and, with the backing of the Associations, we hope that others will soon follow suit."
Tim Corry, SaBRE Campaign Director
Speaking after the visit, Sir Steve Bullock said:
The LGA is proud to back the UK's Reserve Forces. Reservists undergo rigorous training, gaining many new and highly valuable skills which can be easily transferred into the workplace. Meeting Reservists whilst I was in Afghanistan, several of whom work for local authorities, and hearing about their roles really underlined this for me."
We are delighted to lend our support to the Reserve Forces. Reservists perform a vital role and thoroughly deserve our backing. The fact is that without the support of their employers it would be much more difficult for them to do the brilliant jobs they are doing today. The Welsh LGA, in working with SaBRE, is keen to ensure that local authorities in Wales understand both the challenge but also the benefits of employing a Reservist and can easily access the valuable support and information which is readily available."
Cllr Lindsay Whittle
Unfortunately diary commitments prevented me from actually attending the trip. However Reservists clearly demonstrate on a daily basis an ability to communicate, work under pressure and take responsibility for their actions - many of the qualities which are highly valued in local government. We are delighted that so many local authorities in Scotland are already supporting their Reservist employees."
Cllr Pat Watters, President of the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities
Over 17,000 members of the Reserve Forces have served in Iraq or Afghanistan, fighting on the front line or providing vital support services. There are many hundreds of Reservists who work for local authorities and thousands more working elsewhere in the public sector.