[ad_1]
Almost 40% of the Naval Service crew are currently ineligible to claim a special € 10,000 loyalty bonus for enrolling in maritime patrols because they have less than three years of experience.
They are also the lowest paid in the Naval Service and military sources have expressed fears that this creates a two-tier navy, which could breed resentment and potentially hurt future recruitment.
The fact that 40% of the personnel have less than three years of service also highlights the lack of experience in the ranks of the Naval Service, with a large volume of new additions replacing highly experienced personnel who have left in the last few years for better salaries and conditions in the private sector.
The emergency measures Defense Minister Simon Coveney is introducing to address the personnel crisis include a € 10,000 loyalty bonus known as the ‘Maritime Service Commitment Program’, similar to one launched a few years ago to retain to the Air Corps pilots.
It is for Naval Service personnel who agree to sign up for two-year maritime patrols, but it is not open to individuals with less than three years of experience, as they are not considered fully trained.
Sources have revealed that they are also concerned about another measure Coveney plans to introduce to attract “direct entry” candidates to the service of the private sector.
He wants to offer better salaries and seniority in rank than those currently offered in the Naval Service for highly qualified individuals in the private sector who can fulfill critical roles where the navy is currently scarce.
These include experienced engine room installers, hull installers, electricians, radar and radio technicians, and marine engineering officers that Mr. Coveney hopes to attract from the private maritime sector.
They would also be excluded due to the three-year rule if it is not changed.
While both representative associations, RACO for officers and PDForra for enlisted personnel, have embraced Coveney’s initiatives to strengthen manning levels in the crisis-affected Naval Service, they are expected to highlight a number of issues when responding to him for written in November. Four.
Military sources have asked if crew members are forced to take a few days off for compassionate reasons, or if they become pregnant, will they be paid if they miss the prescribed 240 days of maritime patrols they must carry out in the two years? period.
It is proposed that it be paid in four semi-annual installments of € 2,500.
Additionally, there are concerns that crews will not reach the required number of patrol days if their ships are moored because they cannot go to sea in the absence of critical crew members, such as those Mr. Coveney wants to attract. improved “direct entry” criteria.
Recently, several ships have lost patrol days at sea because specialized crews were not available to join them on maritime missions.
In some quarters it has been suggested that it would have been fairer if the special patrol service allowance (PDA) for Naval Service personnel had been increased. The allowance is an average of € 56 per day at sea. It is to compensate staff for being away from their families for long periods and enduring quite harsh conditions.
Unlike the Maritime Services Engagement Plan, the PDA pays for everyone, and not just those with more than three years of experience.
[ad_2]