The Minister for
Defence Science and Personnel, the Hon. Warren Snowdon MP,
today announced that the next step in the major reform of
the pay structure for Australian Defence Force (ADF) enlisted
personnel had been approved by the independent Defence Force
Remuneration Tribunal. The introduction of a new pay structure
that better recognised the trade skills of different employment
groups occurred late last year,” Mr Snowdon said.
“This next phase further rationalises the ADF pay structure
to make it simpler and more flexible, providing greater reward
for rank and skill progression. About 40,000 enlisted permanent
ADF members from Private to Warrant Officer Class 1 and equivalents
will be placed in new employment and pay-grade groupings according
to their skills and experience, and many will receive pay
increases as a result. This will also flow on to the Reserves.
These reforms represent a substantial investment of about
$2.4 billion, over 10 years, in additional pay, which will
also flow on to superannuation benefits. The ADF now has a
robust, contemporary and flexible pay structure for its enlisted
members that can respond to military workforce requirements.”
Mr Snowdon said that the pay reform process was a major undertaking
that required the individual review and placement of each
ADF member within the new pay structure and employment groupings.
The implementation of this reform is expected to take about
eight months and would ensure that each member was placed
correctly and that no one would be disadvantaged financially.
Once the task was complete, pay adjustments would be backdated
to 4 September 2008.
“The current pay structure reform project is independent
of ADF workplace remuneration arrangements that have delivered
average salary increases of about 4.2 per cent each year since
November 2006, or 13.2 per cent compounded over the three-year
life of the agreement,” Mr Snowdon said. “The final
ADF pay rise of 2.8 per cent under the current arrangement
falls due in February 2009, after which the next round of
remuneration setting negotiations will start.”
The last phase of the ADF pay structure reform project will
shortly consider the placement of enlisted aircrew personnel.