Army ‘threatening to fire injured soldiers’

ARMY representatives fear soldiers who are not capable of taking part in military exercises will be booted out of the Defence Forces.

This follows written threats of dismissal to 13 soldiers in Donegal - most of whom have served in the army for over 20 years.

PDFORRA, the body representing rank-and-file soldiers, sailors and aircrew, suspect the policy may extend nationwide.

The association is also claiming a local representative was charged with minor offences - subsequently dropped - because he raised concerns about the letters with a superior.

PDFORRA said it would not enter talks on the new national pay deal until the matter was resolved.

“This should not be done outside the industrial relations machinery. There cannot be unilateral action,” said PDFORRA general secretary Gerry Rooney.

“We’re concerned this is just the beginning of the process. The fact that the letters haven’t been withdrawn, even though they were sent out three or four months ago, suggest they have a level of support higher up the chain of command.”

He said the 13 men, most of whom have families, were aged about 40. They had received injuries, either in work or outside of work, which prevented them from taking part in military exercises.

Military brass claim the 13 men are on “sick leave” and that their condition must either improve to enable them take part in exercises or face dismissal.

But Mr Rooney said the men were in work and could carry out non-exercise jobs such as administrative work or guard duties.

He said these men would be earning around €35,000 as a private. If dismissed they would have to live on a pension of €12,000.

Mr Rooney said there was an agreement with the authorities that soldiers hired before strict health and fitness regimes were introduced in 1994 operated under different standards.

He said the association would not enter talks on the Sustaining Progress National Pay Agreement until the matter was resolved.

PDFORRA deputy general secretary Simon Devereux said a local representative was charged after he raised concerns with a superior officer about the letter. “Subsequently the charges were all dismissed,” he said.

He said this was an example of a growing problem of PDFORRA representatives being victimised. “There is a certain amount of dissatisfaction among the officer corps that PDFORRA representatives are telling them what they are doing is incorrect or wrong.”

He said they were calling for the appointment of an independent body to investigate allegations of victimisation.