Defence Force pay 'rise' a misnomer

Today's announcement regarding Defence Force pay rates is little more than a case of the Government giving with one hand and taking away with the other, Labour's Defence spokesperson Iain Lees-Galloway says.

"The long overdue announcement that the four-year pay freeze is coming to an end will be welcome news for Defence Force personnel but the celebrations will be short-lived once they realise what they are being forced to give up to compensate for it.

"Not only do the increased pay rates come at the cost of leave and allowance entitlements but families living on base are set to see their living costs rise as rents are increased to market rates.

"It’s a bit rich to describe the package as a ‘significant investment’. This is the same Government, remember, whose recent slash and burn exercise resulted in 1000 Defence staff walking away from their jobs.

Scrambling to give remaining staff some good news in the wake of the morale crisis it created by civilianising uniformed personnel and cutting allowances is callous in the extreme.

“It is too little and it is too late, and it goes nowhere near making up for the erosion of pay and conditions that has occurred in the four years since National took office,” said Iain Lees-Galloway.