Australian soldiers are expected to get a better pay deal now.
SOLDIERS have won the battle to overturn their controversial pay deal forcing the Prime Minister to back down and reinstate existing Christmas leave entitlements.
While the below-inflation 1.5 per cent pay deal will stand for 57,000 soldiers, the Abbott government is expected to intervene to reinstate some entitlements stripped from soldiers under the “shameful’’ pay deal.
The Prime Minister is expected to shortly seek colleagues’ support to overturn the decision to strip soldiers of their entitlements. An announcement is expected early next week.
The decision means that commander’s will still be able to grant a discretionary extra day of Christmas leave over the holiday stand down for hard work.
But the bad news for thousands of other public servants is that they now also face a pay cut in real terms — with the Abbott Government confirming the 1.5 per cent offer will be the most generous to any public service worker in the looming round of enterprise bargaining agreements.
The Prime Minister, who plans to hold talks with Independent Jacqui Lambie on soldier’s pay on Monday, has told colleagues that he accepts that the 1.5 per cent pay rise offer is the best the government can offer due to the budget deficit.
However, he has conceded the decision to also remove entitlements is “unacceptable’’.
Labor leader Bill Shorten has accused the government of being “flag patriots’’ who love to be photographed with people in uniform over the deal but were happy to deliver them a real pay cut.
Senator Jacqui Lambie has been vocal about the pay deal for Diggers. Source: News Corp Australia
Any decision by the Prime Minister to back down over the issue could also clear the way for Senator Lambie to drop her threat to vote against all legislation until the matter was resolved.
The Government is now expected to write to the Defence Force Remuneration Tribunal asking it to intervene to reinstate the entitlements.
The back down is expected to cost the Abbott Government a modest amount estimated at under $20 million.
A midnight deadline on Monday was looming for the government to ask the Tribunal to review the decision.
Angry soldiers and their families had demanded action over the pay deal but many suggested it was the removal of entitlements that stung as much as the 1.5 per cent pay rise.
Defence Welfare Association executive director Alf Jaugietis confirmed that some soldiers were angrier about the entitlements issue than the pay offer.
“It doesn’t amount to a hell of a lot. But the emotional impact however is quite profound,’’ he said.
“People have said, “don’t give us a pay rise, just leave our entitlements in place”.
“Quite a number of comments have gone along that vein.
“The government is taking off one day’s leave over Christmas. That was granted some time ago to allow people to take a longer break.
“That has been a given for some time. Commander’s have a discretion to allow ADF folks to take a day’s leave due to hard work and long hours and so on.
“Effectively, across the board the service folk lose a day’s leave.’’
source: dailytelegraph.com.au
STUDIO 3 NEWCASTLE AUSTRALIA 