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Healthy deal: Pte Wayne Bryant, 25/49RQR, gets an injection before deploying to the Solomon Islands. Many reservists will get a shot in the arm in the form of bonuses, allowances and pay increases.
Photo by WO2 Graham McBean |
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THE first reservists to receive a pay rate the same as their ARA counterparts will receive the extra amount from February 23.
This follows last year’s decision by the Government and the Deference Force Remuneration Tribunal (DFRT) to award bonuses, allowances and pay increases to recognise the contribution reservists make to Defence capability.
Previously Reserve pay has been set at 85 per cent of the permanent force daily rate, but the DFRT agreed that the 15 per cent difference should be removed for prescribed groups (see list at right). This includes about 4500 Army reservists who have had permanent force service in the past five years.
Members of some of the prescribed groups will receive the pay rise from February 23, but it will take some months before administrative arrangements are in place to pay others. Payments will be backdated to September 1, 2006.
In other developments, Reserve members who receive the qualification and skills component of SAFA, SOA and flying allowance will receive those increases on March 30, backdated to October 5, 2006.
And the WRA increase of 4.2 per cent will be paid to all reservists on April 27, backdated to November 16, 2006.
SO1 Industrial Relations and Remuneration Lt-Col Lionel Haynes said these were among a range of measures in relation to remuneration for the Active Reserve and High Readiness Reserve (HRR).
“Members of the HRR are now entitled to a completion bonus of $5000 a year which will be paid after the completion of two years of effective service, an annual health support allowance of $2500 and increased remuneration by more closely aligning HRR pay to the ARA rates of pay,” he said.
The first reservists to qualify for the HRR completion bonus will be paid in the 2008-09 financial year.
Members of the Active Reserve are now entitled to an annual health support allowance of $600. They must provide 20 days’ effective service and undertake a successful health assessment each year to be eligible.
“In addition to these initiatives a Reserve Service Allowance of $10 a day or part day will be paid to HRR and Active Reserve majors and below who are not trainees to compensate for the unique demands of Reserve military service,” Lt-Col Haynes said.
CASHED UP
The prescribed groups which will receive pay equal to ARA counterparts include:
- A member serving in the new HRR or with previous service in the new HRR within the last five years.
- A member who has served in the permanent forces at any time in the previous five years.
- A member who holds the competencies required to transfer to the permanent force and who is not a trainee.
- A member who performs duty and is fully competent in an employment category populated only by members of the Reserve or that has a specific pay grade for the Reserve element of the employment category (cavalry scout, petroleum attendant, combat medical attendant and patrolman).
- A member who performs duty and is fully competent in an employment category that has a specific pay grade for the Reserve Force element of the employment category, following a work value assessment by the DFRT (soon to include the reserve component of selected RAEME ground trades).
- A senior officer with the rank of brigadier or higher.
- Medical, dental, legal officers and chaplains remunerated under the specialist pay structure.
- Any other member who holds competencies for which CDF decides the member is to be paid salary at the non-discounted rate.
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