"Defence Force personnel must give up leave in return for below inflation wage"

[dimsum]

On the "grass isn't always greener on the other side" front.

Also, ADF members don't get Post Living Differential $ or paid House Hunting Trips, have less annual leave (20 days unless aircrew in flying units which have 30), and have much less post-deployment leave after operations.

ADF members get paid more in general, but that's in line with the higher cost of living in Australia. Canadian folks posted here also get a top-up to match.

The federal government is asking Australia's soldiers, sailors and air force personnel to accept wage deal of less than half the rate of inflation and to give up some of their workplace entitlements, just days after committing the nation's armed forces to war in Iraq.

The nation's 57,000 men and women in uniform will have to give up some of their Christmas and recreational leave in order to get the pay rise of just 1.5 per cent a year over the next three years.

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/national/defence-force-personnel-must-give-up-leave-in-return-for-below-inflation-wage-offer-20141010-1143ia.html#ixzz3Fj6u7vpu

http://www.canberratimes.com.au/national/defence-force-personnel-must-give-up-leave-in-return-for-below-inflation-wage-offer-20141010-1143ia.html

 

[Infanteer]

However, there are far more different leave entitlements there - the chap I was recently working with was contemplating how to leave a rather large block of leave he was accruing due to hitting a certain year of service.  He was talking about bringing his family to North America for 2-3 months to use all this leave up.

Both militaries, in the grand scheme of things, are very well off.

 

[Stoker]

Hopefully it won't give our government any ideas

 

[dimsum]

However, there are far more different leave entitlements there - the chap I was recently working with was contemplating how to leave a rather large block of leave he was accruing due to hitting a certain year of service.  He was talking about bringing his family to North America for 2-3 months to use all this leave up.

Both militaries, in the grand scheme of things, are very well off.

That's true - they do have Long Service Leave.  I did the math once and we still came out ahead in terms of number of leave days, albeit we couldn't take it all at once. 

There have been a few times in this posting I've said to myself (and the other RCAF guy here) that "I'll never complain about XYZ in Canada anymore."  Medical/dental wait times (although that may be base-specific), Supply (ditto) and admin for work travel come to mind.

 

[Infanteer]

Agreed.  In conversing with my Aussie peers, they appeared to have a more risk-adverse leadership requiring additional paperwork and admin to conduct certain types of activities and training.  The grass is indeed greener at times (although their Army has AH and mortar platoons!)

 

[RDBZ]

Agreed.  In conversing with my Aussie peers, they appeared to have a more risk-adverse leadership requiring additional paperwork and admin to conduct certain types of activities and training.  The grass is indeed greener at times (although their Army has AH and mortar platoons!)

This type of incident goes some way to explaining why: http://www.news.com.au/national/defence-department-admits-to-starting-state-mine-fire-around-lithgow-and-blue-mountains/story-fncynjr2-1226745502977

 

[dimsum]

This type of incident goes some way to explaining why: http://www.news.com.au/national/defence-department-admits-to-starting-state-mine-fire-around-lithgow-and-blue-mountains/story-fncynjr2-1226745502977

Fair enough for cases like that, but I've seen Admin Instructions for a parade (change of command or something similar) that had a risk assessment attached. 

A parade, in a hangar within an airbase.

 

[dimsum]

Interesting time to raise the wage to 2%.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-03-04/defence-force-offered-higher-2pc-pay-increase/6279422

Defence personnel will be offered a higher pay increase as the Abbott Government continues to try to cast aside unpopular policies.

The Federal Government had been criticised heavily, including from some of its own backbenchers, for offering ADF personnel a pay rise of 1.5 per cent.

It has now lifted that offer to 2 per cent.

Prime Minister Tony Abbott said the boost was appropriate, particularly given the announcement yesterday to send more troops to Iraq.

"It is just above the current inflation rate," he said.