Army Private Pay and Workload
Connaughton asked for private pay rates by marital status and service, then challenged the Minister over soldiers’ long hours and pay compared with industrial workers. Noonan disputed the comparison, gave average pay figures, and cited recruitment and a planned review of the promotional structure to reduce the workload; he did not confirm that the promotions embargo had been removed.
asked the Minister for Defence the pay per week for an Army private who is (a) single and (b) married on entry to the Army; and the pay for an Army private who is (a) single and (b) married with five years service in the Army.
Comment on this
(Limerick West): The current weekly rates of pay, including military service allowance, of privates both single and married are as follows:
Comment on this
Is the Minister aware that there are soldiers who work a 70 hour week and take home £26 per week less than the average industrial wage? Is he happy with that type of pay policy for the Army? The soldier with 70 or 72 hours has to put up with £26 less than the average industrial earner on a 40-hour week. Is the Minister aware of where that is likely to lead us?
Comment on this
(Limerick West): The Deputy's figure of £26 is not correct. The average pay of NCOs and privates is £189.6 per week and the average pay of NCOs and privates, if account is taken of Border duty and security duty allowances, is £198.68 per week, which is about £1 short of the industrial average wage.
Comment on this
I am talking about soldiers who work 70 hours a week. Is the Minister trying to tell this House that there would be only £1 of a differece between the way such a soldier would be paid and overtime plus basic rate for the industrial wage earner? The Minister must not be living in the real world.
Comment on this
(Limerick West): It is the Deputy who is not living in the real world. For his information—I like to give him information — the average industrial wage including overtime and productivity payments is £199.41 per week. I am very conscious indeed of the high incidence of duties of privates and NCOs. That is why I am now recruiting and why I recruited 700 from 1 November last year. Furthermore, we are looking at the promotional structure in the other ranks and my intention is in the very near future to reduce substantially the high incidence of duties which is causing the problems as outlined by the Deputy.
