Army looking for extra payment

Sunnyisland

Defence Forces ask for discretionary payment for cold snap activities


The Government is today being asked for a discretionary payment for soldiers who have been helping out in the snow.

Members of the Defence Forces have been transporting medical staff to and from their jobs on snowbound roads.

The request for the "decency" payment was made through the Defence Forces representative body, PDForra.

It has been agreed for some personnel, but not all of them who have been on duty.

Are they entitled to more pay or not ?

Read more: http://www.examiner.ie/breakingnews/ireland/defence-forces-ask-for-discretionary-payment-for-cold-snap-activities-487109.html#ixzz19LMgrQXn

Lando Griffin

They can go on strike for all I care I doubt anyone would notice except the Brinks van drivers.

Praetorian Saighdiuir

No sure why should they get more pay?


Pffft, no one should get more money for working overtime :rolleyes:

Poor Uncle Tom

AIB's bonus's should be diverted to sectors like this who actually deserve it.

My name is URL

At least they weren't using any heavy machinery which could deafen them..

meh.. I don't think they should be entitled to a 'decency' payment, whatever the hell that is. Would they be docked an indecency charge if they had have said no? They're paid well enough and know what a job like theirs is about.

CreepingDeath

Sure they don't actually do any work in this country anyway.
They get sent on peace keeping missions outside the country.

This first time they're actually doing something useful to the country they swore an oath to, and they want money for it ?

Might as well hire mercenaries.

Praetorian Saighdiuir

CreepingDeath wrote: »

Sure they don't actually do any work in this country anyway.
They get sent on peace keeping missions outside the country.

This first time they're actually doing something useful to the country they swore an oath to, and they want money for it ?

Might as well hire mercenaries.

Ha!

galwayrush

The have to buy their own ear plugs....

Gummy Panda

*looks at intimidating picture of Makikomi*

Yes, they deserve every cent...

Bog

Gummy Panda wrote: »

*looks at intimidating picture of Makikomi*

Yes, they deserve every cent...

*worries about what folders are on Gummy Panda's computer*

ChunkyLover_53

I was out this week driving HSE staff to & from the hospital.

TBH I couldn't give a sh1t if they paid me the allowance or not.

It wouldn't be the first time I wasn't paid for doing a duty.

No one gave a crap then and no one will give a crap now. Life goes on.

Jarren

Soldiers put on standby to help snow-bound householders over Christmas are furious after their demands for extra pay were turned down -- even though they were not called into action.

Thousands of soldiers countrywide came to the rescue of people in distress during the bad weather. The Defence Forces also facilitated medical transfers. All those soldiers were paid for undertaking the duties.

But solders who have been spending up to 12 hours a day 'on call' in barracks claim they should also have been paid for extra duties.

They have requested a discretionary 'decency' payment for the time spent on call -- a request that the Department of Defence is understood to have turned down.

Pdforra, the association representing non-commissioned members of the Permanent Defence Forces, is demanding that soldiers should be paid for time spent away from their families, and says it plans to prioritise the payments issue early next year.

Pdforra general secretary Gerry Rooney blamed new arrangements for the failure to pay the decency payment.

"They are on duty. Even if they are not deployed, they are spending long and antisocial hours away from their homes," he said, "There is anger about it; people have an expectation to spend some time with their families."

The association says it will be taking the matter to an adjudicator with the Defence Forces conciliation and arbitration scheme and hopes to have a hearing in early 2011.

If the case is won, then soldiers will be entitled to back pay for the hours spent on call in barracks.

A spokesman for the Department for Defence said: "All discussions under the defence conciliation and arbitration scheme are confidential to the parties involved, and it would not be appropriate to comment on the merits or any other aspect of any claim under discussion."

However, the discussions did not stop the Defence Forces coming to the rescue of many people over Christmas.

On Christmas day, the Army transported healthcare professionals to medical facilities in Dublin, Cork, the midlands and the west, helping the health services to remain operational.

Patients were also transported to Dublin from Cork and the midlands for treatment, and a meals-on-wheels service was provided to the elderly and housebound at a number of locations. The severe-weather assistance will continue over the Christmas period.

http://www.independent.ie/national-news/fury-as-soldiers-on-standby-denied-extra-pay-2474873.html


In fairness those soldiers were on call so they should get paid IMO

mikemac

jarecki1976 wrote: »

In fairness those soldiers were on call so they should get paid IMO

+1

If you are being put on call then some payment is due.
Any maybe their union should have sorted out agreed rates before this.

PeterIanStaker

Oh wow another DF bashing thread on Boards, never see them:rolleyes:

Nolanger

Of course they should get paid. Just a shame there was no snow cleared off the paths in Rathmines in the last few days. If only there was a nearby army barracks?

cypharius

Sure, they should get what they want, BUT, in severe circumstances like the snow this year, they should be deployed for civic duties.

latenia

Em, they do get paid; what they're looking for is a bonus payment just for doing their job. I find it extremely bizarre that soldiers feel that being away from their families isn't part of their job. How about we have the next war in their living rooms? They won't be so fckn grabby then.

Yakult

We have an Army? :eek:

connundrum

*A deep breath before replying*

I manage a security company, and for the duration of the cold snap we had our lads out shovelling snow, directing traffic, pushing and jump-starting cars etc.

Further to that, several of our lads gave customers a lift home. Some staff acted as a taxi for other staff who were trapped and couldn't take public transport.

For the duration of the spell, all staff were on call and could be called into work at an hour or two's notice.

All of this for about €10 per hour.

No one asked for more money, no one called in sick unless they really couldn't get to work. Everyone was relatively happy to help out as they all coppped that it was an isolated incident and unless they dug in, the job wouldn't get done.

The army did provide a service above and beyond, but so did everyone else as far as I can see. Common sense needs to prevail.

flutered

in scotland the army, navy and air force helped out, btw they are on less pay than our forces.

Dempo1

Lando Griffin wrote: »

They can go on strike for all I care I doubt anyone would notice except the Brinks van drivers.

Could not agree more, I had to look again when i saw this story being reported. WTF was my initial reaction followed by outrage. Christ all mighty, WTF would army personnel being doing instead of assisting civil authorities clear snow and getting emergency personnel to hospitals, for **** sake, its beggars belief they would have the gall to seek additional payments. Its telling how many were actually available to assist?

I think a job for life, free health care, subsidized housing, short working week and substantial payments for ridiculous over seas mission should suffice thank you very much!

I hope the government tells them to **** off and quite loudly!:mad::mad::mad:

thebaz

i think it sums up the greed in ireland today - what compensation would they look for if they were actually called to duty for a war - IMO the Irish army have it handy , well paid in comparison to other forces , many who are required to put there life on the line in combat , much more than our own army


greed greed greed

Praetorian Saighdiuir

latenia wrote: »

Em, they do get paid; what they're looking for is a bonus payment just for doing their job. I find it extremely bizarre that soldiers feel that being away from their families isn't part of their job. How about we have the next war in their living rooms? They won't be so fckn grabby then.

Where in a soldiers job description does it say that they are to be on standby to do the county/city councils job???

When the council workers would not clear snow, we were sent out. I think its "extremely bizarre" that they STILL GOT PAID for NOT doing their job!!

Soldiers are away from their families a lot more than you may think. We spend a lot of time in different parts of the country for protracted periods of time. We accept this necessity. We accept the fact that overseas service doesnt "directly" do any good in our own country but we still go.This may be worthless to the likes of you, but we also accept that.

Being away from your family is second nature to any soldier, but when it is not necessary, it is irritating.

Im not grabby and neither are my commerades.

thebaz

benwavner wrote: »

Im not grabby and neither are my commerades.

what about all those deafness claims - when i considered joining the army - both here and the states - there was a chance you might actually die - never mind being temporarily away from your family ?

Dempo1

R_H_C_P wrote: »

We have an Army? :eek:

LOL:D Yep, you will find most of them swaning aroud their private golf course at the curragh (and not the one's in white overalls, Baaaa!)

Praetorian Saighdiuir

thebaz wrote: »

what about all those deafness claims - when i considered joining the army - both here and the states - there was a chance you might actually die - never mind being temporarily away from your family ?

I have no problem being away from my family, its part of the job.

What is your point about considering joining the army?

Do you actually know anything about the deafness claims or is it regurgitated drivel?

Dempo1

benwavner wrote: »

Where in a soldiers job description does it say that they are to be on standby to do the county/city councils job???

When the council workers would not clear snow, we were sent out. I think its "extremely bizarre" that they STILL GOT PAID for NOT doing their job!!

Soldiers are away from their families a lot more than you may think. We spend a lot of time in different parts of the country for protracted periods of time. We accept this necessity. We accept the fact that overseas service doesnt "directly" do any good in our own country but we still go.This may be worthless to the likes of you, but we also accept that.

Being away from your family is second nature to any soldier, but when it is not necessary, it is irritating.

I'm not grabby and neither are my commerades.

I don't mean to be fictitious or demean the profession but the carry on i witnessed at the curragh somewhat contradicts the notion of your comrades not being grabby. As for being away from family, surely this is something one would have considered before Joining and there are a lot of other professions that require much more sacrifice and finally overseas missions, are not you and your comrades compensated handsomely or said tour of duties.

I am afraid whomever or whatever organization demanded additional payments has done untold damage to your profession, its quite simply outrageous!

davetherave

Hooray, another DF bashing thread. :rolleyes::rolleyes:

My name is URL wrote: »

At least they weren't using any heavy machinery which could deafen them..

meh.. I don't think they should be entitled to a 'decency' payment, whatever the hell that is. Would they be docked an indecency charge if they had have said no? They're paid well enough and know what a job like theirs is about.

It's not "decency" payment. It's an aid to the civil power allowance.
and is paid for duties that are done in support of the authorities other than occasions involving industrial action. Like when the binmen went on strike and the army stepped up, or when the firemen went on strike and again the army stepped in to help.

The allowance is payable for attendance on duty for a period (s) appreciably in excess of normal daily routine/hours of attendance.
The duty must provide direct support to the civil authorities.
The support must have been requested by the civil authorities.

CreepingDeath wrote: »

Sure they don't actually do any work in this country anyway.
They get sent on peace keeping missions outside the country.
This first time they're actually doing something useful to the country they swore an oath to, and they want money for it ?
Might as well hire mercenaries.

Ahhhaaaaaaa.
*Reads post again*
AHAHAAAAAHAAA

So the sixty five air ambulances , 197 EOD Disposal Team callouts, 178 prisoner escorts so far this year haven't been useful?? What about the lads guarding Portlaoise prison.

Riddle101

Personally and this is nothing against them. I don't think they should get extra pay. Not for doing a something like this. In fairness it was more of a duty to the state which the Army serve as well as a civil contingency duty. I mean in that case, we should pay everybody extra for doing their bit with this snow. But still. To me, it's like a garda looking for extra pay, for going on foot patrol in this weather.

thebaz

benwavner wrote: »

Do you actually know anything about the deafness claims or is it regurgitated drivel?

as someone above has said you are better paid than your Scottish counterparts , who actually risk getting involved in a war - when I considered joining the US army I did consider the risk of death , not deafness

What war has the Irish army been fully deployed in ?

it is a relatively risk free job here , well paid and safe

Praetorian Saighdiuir

Dempo1 wrote: »

I don't mean to be fictitious or demean the profession but the carry on i witnessed at the curragh somewhat contradicts the notion of your comrades not being grabby. As for being away from family, surely this is something one would have considered before Joining and there are a lot of other professions that require much more sacrifice and finally overseas missions, are not you and your comrades compensated handsomely or said tour of duties.

I am afraid whomever or whatever organization demanded additional payments has done untold damage to your profession, its quite simply outrageous!

How extensive is your experience in the Curragh and in what context?

Yes being away from the family is accepted and it is not something you think about when you are in your teens.

Yes we get paid for our overseas tours, what is your point? Do you think we should go for free?

How is it outrageous to request an allowance for working outside normal hours? Are you trying to tell me that if you worked outside normal hours that you would not get overtime?