"Attractive salary"

Because of pay: Advertisement upsets officers

The pay for young career officers is a runaway - misunderstandings, such as those currently being stirred up by advertisements, are partly to blame.

(Bild: Attila Molnar)

Advertisements in the Austrian Armed Forces advertising "particularly attractive" salaries to attract new soldiers are currently causing a great deal of misunderstanding among officers.

The debate about the unfair pay of career officers continues unabated. Now the Ministry of Defense itself is adding fuel to the fire. In current advertisements, they are looking for new soldiers, including in military newspapers, and describe the pay as "particularly good".

Perhaps this is how we get soldiers to join the profession. But the fact that many leave is due to a variety of disappointments. One of these may be the misunderstanding that is fueled by such advertisements.

IGBO-Präsident Siegfried Albel

This is a slap in the face for the Interessengemeinschaft der Berufsoffiziere (IGBO), which has been campaigning for years - as reported - for young lieutenants to be paid "academically" after their studies and not just on a par with school-leavers.

IGBO President Siegfried Albel also holds Minister Klaudia Tanner herself accountable: "When she took office, she announced that she would ensure adequate pay and approach the responsible civil service ministry. Now large sums of money are being invested to describe the unequal treatment that has been identified as 'attractive'."