10% pay rise for Defence Forces
Small increases in some allowances are unlikely to stem the ongoing exodus from the Defence Forces, the association representing military officers has said.
The Public Service Pay Commission (PSPC) recommended an increase of 10% to the Military Service Allowance.
This equates to a €0.96 gross per day increase for privates with less than three years’ service and €1.30 gross for captains. This and slight increases to other allowances will cost around €10m
The report also recommended the reintroduction of a loyalty payment to retain air corps pilots, whereby they commit to three or five years service. However, it didn’t suggest a figure for that.
PSPC has also recommended a review of pay structures in the Defence Forces be undertaken.
Raco, the officers’ association, called for the immediate setting up of an independent pay review body, similar to one which decides pay and allowances for the British armed forces.
Raco general secretary Commandant Conor King claimed the PSPC “missed an opportunity to effectively arrest the unprecedented retention crisis” with its “conservative” recommendations for improved allowances.
“The perception of military personnel continues to be that they are not valued by Government,” he said. “It is difficult to see how the conservative measures recommended will restore confidence of members and prevent further exodus of trained personnel.”
Raco assistant general secretary Derek Priestly said before the loyalty payment for pilots was axed during the recession, they were offered €22,500 per year before tax on top of their wages.
He said the air corps had told him anything less than this figure indexed linked to inflation wouldn’t be enough to stem the exodus.
An experienced air corps pilot earns €80,000 per year and, even with the loyalty payment, it would be less than they could expect flying for Ryanair of Aer Lingus.
He said promises to address improving core pay “were kicking the can down the road.”
Meanwhile, it was reported the Government was prepared to pay increased allowances for the army ranger wing, cooks, and bookeepers, which PDForra won at independent adjudications in 2010 and 2013.
The department has been reported as saying it would not pay them retrospectively, but would backdate them to last October instead.
