Defence salutes pay increase to fight staff losses

By JOSIE CLARKE

Junior military personnel are among the winners of a long-awaited pay rise designed to address Defence Force concerns about recruiting and retaining staff.

The announcement by Defence Minister Mark Burton yesterday was welcomed by staff at the Navy's Devonport base, who said it would have a big impact on their weekly pay.

Sarah Lockyer, a medical assistant and registered nurse who has served with the Navy for 12 years, will earn an extra $5062, taking her salary to $43,875.

Lara Partridge, a 21-year-old communications operator, who joined the Navy three years ago, will now earn $29,812, an increase of almost $3000.

Both women said pay was not a consideration when they chose their careers, but admitted that they were happy to "finally" see the extra money, which was more than they had expected.

Petty Officer Lockyer said the increase was an incentive to junior personnel because it recognised the demands of a lifestyle that included being on call 24 hours a day.

The increases are targeted at lower-paid ranks and tradespeople working in areas where the military has found it difficult to retain staff.

More than 80 per cent of uniformed personnel, or roughly 7000 staff, will receive an average increase of 5 per cent, but ranging between 1 and 19 per cent.

The most junior ranks, including privates, aircraftsmen and able seamen, will receive increases of between 6 and 13 per cent.

Sixty-five per cent of the extra funding will go to ranks up to the equivalent of corporal. All personnel in this group, except those still training, will receive a minimum increase of $1125. No colonel equivalents or those ranked above will receive an increase.

The military factor allowance, a payment in addition to base pay that recognises service discipline, compulsory postings and 24-hour call, will now be at least $4508 a year instead of a percentage of base pay.

Increases will begin on May 17 and will be backdated to May 1, 2001.

Mr Burton said the Government had provided the Defence Force with an extra $3 million for this financial year to pay for the increases, and the next Budget would include a further $18.4 million in baseline funding for the 2001-2002 financial year to meet the ongoing cost of the increases.

He said the new spending followed an assessment of recruitment and retention issues, as well as remuneration, and was a significant step towards bringing pay rates into line with comparable occupations in the private sector.

The pay increase follows New Zealand's committing its troops to a longer term in East Timor, where they have been serving alongside Australian troops who earn significantly more.

In 1999, the National Government more than doubled the daily allowances paid to personnel serving in East Timor, from $42.60 to $94.60 before tax, or $78.85 net.

But the New Zealanders were still getting substantially less than the Australians, who were at that time earning $147 a day tax free, plus higher base wages for serving in East Timor.

The Chief of Defence Force, Air Marshal Carey Adamson, welcomed the increases, and said pay levels for junior ranks had long been a concern.

Pay disparities had been particularly significant in most of the military's technical and specialist trades.