Pay

[Cosantor]

Its a touchy subject in some quarters, but how do you think Irish RDF Pay structures, compare in relation to those of other Reserve Force Internationally?

Here’s what the TA site says:

Pay

As a member of the TA you will be paid for every hour of training you attend, so the more time you put in the more you'll receive. You will also receive an annual bonus, known as a bounty, but only if you fulfill your minimum time commitment. You may also be refunded travel costs incurred by travelling to your TA centre for training.

Daily rates of pay are the same for TA personnel and their Regular Army equivalents, from £29.10 for a Private to £102.51 for a Major. The exact rate also varies according to particular trade and type of commitment.

Hourly income is taxable, but the Annual Bounty is a tax-free lump sum. The value of the bounty depends on the specific unit and individual training requirement but, on a higher commitment, TA soldiers and officers start by receiving £350 in their first year. After five years satisfactory service, this rises to £1380.

If you join an Independent Unit you must complete a minimum of 27 days training in order to qualify for your bounty, usually including a 15-day camp. By joining a Specialist Unit you need only attend 19 days.

[Bravo20]

Irish RDF Pay
Nightly Parades: Out of the goodness of your own heart (2 "hours")
Weekends: Out of the goodness of your own heart (4 "hours")
Field Days: Out of the goodness of your own heart (4 "hours")

Full Time Training: As per the first point on each payscale for each rank (note 1).
Annual Gratuity: Ptes: €106.13 NCOs: €144.45 Officers: €181.31 (note 2) [24 "hours" for every 7 days fulltime]

All pay is taxable, gratuity is tax free. No refund of travel costs for travelling to your training centre. Daily rate of pay can range from €45.24 for recruits to €127.33 for a Commandant (note 3). To qualify for a gratuity you must have completed 48 "hours" training and have attended annual training.

Note 1: Except for 2/Lt and Lt who are paid at the top point on the scale for LTs. This was to remedy the situation where someone who got commissioned got paid less than when they were an NCO.
Note 2: OCs get a gratuity of €274.79. There are gratuities for OCs and for Commandants.
Note 3: Worked out on a 7 day week which is how pay section calculate it. Also rates are as at 1/01/04, there has been an increase since then.

Do the comparison.

[Bravo20]

In theory yes. I have never heard of it happening to anyone.

[bulldemboots!]

Why do they claim we get paid the same as our PDF counterparts. A Pte 3* gets something like €425 a week now. That's 5 days. Why do we (reservists) have to do 7 days to earn the same pay? By my reckoning that's less than the minimum wage.

[bulldemboots!]

Hardly, considering on camp we do 12-14 hour days or more. Not to mention 24 hour security duties.

[Commando69]

stricty speaking we get paid for 7 days not 5 as we are always on standby no matter what day of the week it is. also it is not 425 for most younger privates there are several large deductions taken from our wages every week

[sparks]

plus FCA/RDF do not get a duty allowance for guard/BOS etc on camp if its not
a manned barracks / camp.

[beenthere]

If you do more than 52 weeks camp in your rank, are you moved to the second point on the scale?

If you do the equivalent of one years pay in the same rank you go up a scale,
this would include, all camps, paid security dutys, full time paid duty Ect

[Big Al]

also it is not 425 for most younger privates there are several large deductions taken from our wages every week

Other that tax & prsi what else is taken, if you dont mind me asking?

[The Joker]

plus FCA/RDF do not get a duty allowance for guard/BOS etc on camp if its not
a manned barracks / camp.

You are only entitled to duty allowance if you are covering a duty that would normall be covered by the PDF.

Doing 24 hour security in the Glen doesnt count.

[Hairflick]

RDF Pers don't get SDA if they are on Paid Training, i.e. Manday's allotment.

[sparks]

just wondering why not, the law of the land is equal pay for equal work or does the powers that be just ignore this.

[DeV]

No refund of travel costs for travelling to your training centre.

Milage allowance is paid to officers and sometimes other personnel.


The working time, think it is the Organisation of Working Time Act doesn't apply to the DF.

[sparks]

Milage allowance is paid to officers and sometimes other personnel.



Milage allowance is paid to one person per subunit ie company and normally goes to the company commander, also Bn commander

[Bravo20]

Mileage allowance is supposed to be used for traveling from the barracks or post to other training locations (i.e. visiting the troops), not from home to your place of training as it appears the TA may get, and it usually only applies to the sub-unit commander and 2ic (not sure about 2ics). The 7 day rule applies to both PDF and RDF (as Commando69 said). I would be interested in knowing what large deductions are made (other than PAYE/PRSI) from a PDF private's salary. Are you talking about:
1) GANBO/CAFENBO deductions - Is this not voluntary?
2) Mess membership
3) Rations - The PDF are supposed to benefit from the ruling that states that deducting rations from single personnel and not from married personnel was discriminatory (We have).
4) Accomodation: Versus rent/mortgage if living out.

Anyway this thread was not about comparing PDF salaries to RDF salaries, it is about comparing RDF payments to TA payments. The PDF deserve everything they get (and probably should get more).