Royal Fleet Auxiliary retention cannot be assessed solely against the size of Britain's domestic merchant fleet. Merchant-shipping qualifications are international, so qualified personnel can seek work with overseas employers. Work in fishing, oceanography, and offshore oil support offers other uses for related skills. A limited domestic auxiliary sector therefore does not leave RFA personnel without competing employment.
Notable Point · 1:35:17-1:36:34
Why RFA pay competes with an international labor market
International qualifications and offshore employment give RFA personnel alternatives that a narrow domestic pay comparison misses.