‘Soldiers won’t be silent over pay cut concerns’

ANGRY army representatives have warned that soldiers will not be silenced on concerns over pay cuts and have told the Government to instead hit the wealthy with taxes.

Rank-and-file soldiers clashed with the Defence Minister yesterday after he told them to “stay within the law” and distance themselves from a new, frontline protest group.

But as Willie O’Dea revealed the army faced a tough budget in December, PDFORRA – the association representing soldiers, sailors and aircrew – said it was intent on continuing to publicly campaign on pay issues.

Secretary general Gerry Rooney told disgruntled members in Carlow: “Further threats to our terms and conditions may be on the horizon and this is of immense concern to all of us.”

The income, health and pension levies had already cut an average non-commissioned-officer’s typical salary by €3,600, the association’s annual conference heard.

Efforts to highlight pay cuts during a recent demonstration in Dublin by PDFORRA with the newly-formed 24/7 Front Line Services Alliance had been criticised.

Mr O’Dea warned that army members “must stay within the law” and use the Defence Force’s official arbitration process to negotiate pay concerns. Under the 1990 Defence Act, it was forbidden for soldiers to join the alliance, he said.

However, Mr Rooney said army members would set up their own independent frontline alliance to campaign.

“We do not accept that we can be silenced on the issue of our pay or indeed cuts to our pay,” said the representative.

PDFORRA say since a moratorium on recruitment was introduced in March, numbers in the Defence Forces have fallen by 400.

Naval Service members were also having to spend longer periods at sea without relief, the conference heard.

Issues like the implementation of a recent EU Working Time directive for the Defence Forces were being ignored, argued the association.

Army representatives want the Government to target bankers, developers and the wealthy in December’s budget.

Ending relief for landlords, retirement fund schemes for the wealthy and property-based incentive schemes could net millions of euro for the state, added PDFORRA.

Addressing members, Chief of Staff Dermot Earley said he had given the minister proposals to meet budgetary needs while maintaining the army’s essential operations.

Lt Gen Early was “acutely” aware of the challenges facing army members and their families, but he also said it was important that soldiers did not erode the public’s confidence in the Defence Forces with their public protests.