News from Greece
A major meeting took place of the federations representing Greek security forces and armed forces personnel. It criticizes the government for its recent decision to raise night shift compensation by just 20%, amounting to an insufficient €0.55 gross per hour. The federations express frustration with this symbolic increase, viewing it …
Balancing Justice and Duty: The Debate on AWOL and Desertion Reform in Ukraine
On 17 July 2024, the Verkhovna Rada (Ukrainian Parliament) adopted in the first reading of the draft law on the return to service of military personnel after the first absence without leave (AWOL) and desertion. As noted on the website of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, “draft law No. …
Cοnscription Comeback: How Eurοpe is Reinventing Military Service
In respοnse to escalating glοbal tensions, particularly the war in Ukraine and ongoing conflicts in the Middle East, Eurοpean nations are reassessing their military strategies. A notable trend emerging is the reintroduction or strengthening of conscriptiοn policies across the cοntinent, signalling a significant shift in apprοach to national and regional …
Defending the voice of Italy’s military: a battle for representation rights
A critical situation is currently unfolding within the Italian military as ITAMIL, the first “military association with trade union character” in Italy, faces censorship and legal threats for its efforts to represent military personnel. ITAMIL, a member of EUROMIL, is under pressure after the Italian Army General Staff ordered the …
CS Chairman Jesper Korsgaard Hansen on the pension age debate: Interesting, but we want concrete proposals
CS, Central Association of Permanent Defence Personnel in Denmark (Topic: The Danish Prime Minister brought the issue of Danes’ retirement age into debate at her party’s recently concluded summer meeting.) CS Chairman Jesper Korsgaard Hansen on the Pension Age Debate: Interesting, but We Want Concrete Proposals At a press conference …
Strengthening military rights across Europe: tackling challenges in Italy!
ITAMIL, an Italian member association of EUROMIL, recently hosted MEP Leoluca Orlando. During a significant meeting with the MEP of the Greens/EFA group, discussions focused on the creation of a “European Charter of Rights for Military Personnel.” ITAMIL President Sandro Frattalemi emphasized EUROMIL’s crucial role in supporting this initiative, highlighting …
SILF speaks out to defend the rights and dignity of financial officers.
The past week the Sindacato Italiano Lavoratori Finanzieri (SILF) together with FP-Cgil (Penitentiary) and SILP-Cgil (State Police) orchestrated a series of demonstrations across various Italian squares. This significant event aimed to advocate for the rights, interests, and dignity of finance officers in Italy. SILF, renowned for its unwavering commitment to …
Addressing inequity in military retirement benefits: AUME’s call for reform
EUROMIL’s member association AUME (Spain) addressed the issue of discrimination in the application of reduction coefficients for military personnel retirement. The organization highlights the disparity faced by military personnel in having their hazardous and strenuous work conditions recognized through appropriate retirement age reductions. AUME has communicated these concerns to the …
The Irish Defence (Amendment) Bill 2024
In December 2023, the Department of Defence (Irish Ministry of Defence) introduced proposals for amendments to the Irish Defence Acts. These proposed amendments would significantly impact the scope of representation and were drafted by the Department and submitted to cabinet (and approved) without any consultation with the Representative Associations. The …
Addressing the recruitment and retention crisis in Greece’s Military Educational Institutions
PFEARFU (Panhellenic Federation of Armed Forces Union) highlights once again the serious issue of recruitment and retention in Greece’s Military Educational Institutions. According to recently released data, there are 460 vacant positions in 2024 for these institutions. This alarming trend of declining entry and retention rates can be attributed to …