Why can't the Armed Forces strike?

[anotheoldgit]

http://www.telegraph....nger-for-pension.html

During these times of austerity we have seen public sector workers strike, the Police protest on the streets, and on Thursday doctors go on strike, with full pay.

But our Armed Forces will now have to serve another another five years before qualifying for their pensions, yet they have to take it on the chin because they can't strike.

[jno]

if I were them, I would down tools in all foreign wars for a week.

[THEMOTLEY1]

Oh, thats, not fair, the other side have guns as well, call the Regimental Steward at once, that was never in the contract!

[ABerrant]

"Why can't the Armed Forces strike?" ... because, in order to maintain military discipline, contravention of a standing order and disobeying a lawful command are both offences punishable under Service law.

If a member of the British Armed Services was to go on strike and refuse a senior officer's command to return to their duties the maximum prison term allowable is 10 years.

[Sqad]

Would the Taliban respect the strike and it's principals and not attack during the strike?

[doctordb]

A soldier's sense of duty is what sets them apart from other services and why they deserve the utmost respect. They go where they're told, do what they're told and they do it well. Hats off to them.

[rojash]

"A soldier's sense of duty is what sets them apart from other services and why they deserve the utmost respect."
Yeah, right.

[emmie]

all the while being made redundant, massive cuts to their numbers and so a somewhat depleted armed services. The doctors should count themselves lucky.

[tonyav]

And teachers imo.

[FredPuli43]

If the government was honourable, it would keep the pension agreement at whatever it was when the soldier joined. If a man joins,signs a contract to serve for a given term, the government shouldn't change its side of the agreement, while expecting him to keep his. If they want to change basic terms of engagement, they should change them for new recruits , who would then be signing to those terms. The question of having no right to strike should then not arise.