Contract soldiers receive pay rise

Professional soldiers received a pay rise after cabinet approved a proposal made by Defence Minister Vasilis Palmas on Friday.

They will now be on the public sector A2-A5-A7 scale, meaning those at the bottom of the scale will now earn an absolute minimum of €15,109 per year, while those at the very top of the A7 band could make as much as €40,279 per year at the current rates.

In addition, they will now receive an extra monthly allowance of €100, while some contract soldiers in selected departments will receive a monthly allowance of €200. The new pay scales will come into effect from July 1.

Speaking after the cabinet meeting, Palmas said one of the government’s main goals is to “strengthen the value of the National Guard”, and that in this regard, the hiring of contract soldiers has “contributed to the improvement of the National Guard’s operational capacity”.

He added that a number of current contract soldiers will now be able to be employed in other parts of the National Guard upon the completion of their ten-year service, with the upper age limit set to be raised from 42 to 57 years.

Future contract soldier recruits will be hired for a total of 10 years of service based on consecutive contracts ranging between a year and three years in length, following a selection process which will include written examinations. The upper age limit for new recruits will be 27 years.

Palmas added that the government will bring about these changes with “the formulation of a legislative plan”.

“We are listening to the needs and concerns of our staff and are making every effort to resolve and improve their concerns,” he said.