Media Room: Media Releases

FACTS REGARDING SPECIAL FORCES PAY

This release is to address misinformation in the public arena with regard to Special Forces (SF) pay.

“Today’s media release from Senator the Hon David Johnston and The Hon Bob Baldwin indicates that SAS soldiers will see their take home pay slashed.  This is not true.  Under the transition arrangements currently in place, all SF soldiers will be retained at their current pay group level, while time is allowed for them to become appropriately qualified,” Chief of Army, Lieutenant General Ken Gillespie, said.

“The media release also states that many soldiers will face a reduction in salary until they find the time to complete courses. This is incorrect. There will be a transition period in which members will be able to reach milestones to remediate all SF trade competencies.  The details of this transition period are fully described in the Chief of Army’s Directive 06/09.

“To clarify, there will be no reduction in pay, or any debt recovery related to the Defence Force Remuneration Tribunal’s decision during this transition process.

“That is why I have ordered a 100 per cent audit of the competencies of SF personnel and have determined that all affected personnel will be paid for the level they are competently performing, regardless of their formally attained proficiencies.  

“In regard to the e-mail that was sent to soldiers asking them not to operate outside the chain of command, this was done to ensure this matter is managed in the appropriate way.  The email was sent out because of a very senior soldier’s frustration with actions being taken outside the chain of command that have compromised the Chief of Army’s expressed intent to resolve this issue.   The important parts of the e-mail deal with identifying single points of contact, and of a genuine desire for soldiers to raise their concerns in an appropriate manner.

“Because of the lack of a current information communications technology solution to integrating Army’s pay with its human resources tracking, the progress in resolving this issue has not been as rapid or as precise as I would have wished.

“I can assure the Australian public that Defence is working through this complex issue to ensure that it is resolved.  Indeed, the way ahead is quite clear.  Defence understands the concerns that some members may have and will ensure that their specific circumstances are addressed as quickly as possible,” Lieutenant General Ken Gillespie said.

Media note:

The full text of Chief of Army’s Directive 06/09: Special Forces Trade Competency Remediation can be downloaded from www.defence.gov.au/publications/CA_Directive_06_09-SF_Remuneration_Remediation.pdf.

Media contact: Defence Media Liaison: 02 6265 3343 or 0408 498 664