“I had conversations with the associations. I think there was a misunderstanding and I was referring to the ongoing discussions within the public administration with the trade union structures regarding salaries, ”said Helena Carreiras, when asked by journalists about the criticisms of the military associations, who said they were unaware of any negotiations on increases and asked for clarification.

“It will certainly be time to discuss with the associations what the possible career review is, which I would very much like to take place and which this Budget signals as a possible measure in the near future”he added.

“The next moment will surely be the balance sheet of careers. It will be the next moment that has nothing to do with this moment when, in public administration more generally, we discuss the appreciation of salaries”insisted the minister, on the sidelines of a NATO ministerial meeting in Brussels.

Last Tuesday, the holder of the defense portfolio suggested in Parliament that there were already negotiations underway to review military salaries.

Helena Carreiras notably declared that the Armed Forces would have salary increases “in line with what is done in public administration”, a negotiation which should have more reflexes in the lower categories.

“A Celestial Entity”
The representative associations of Officers, Sergeants and Soldiers of the Armed Forces stressed yesterday that they were unaware of the existence of negotiations on salary increases.

Heard by the Lusa news agency, Lieutenant-Colonel António Mota, president of the Association of Armed Forces Officers (AOFA), declared that he had not been contacted by the government: “The minister will negotiate with a celestial entity or perhaps with someone from his office, the Secretary of State.

“Either the minister is completely wrong about what she is saying, or she has been misinformed”he continued, adding that “there is an urgent need to provide military professional associations with the rights to collective bargaining and collective representation”.The draft State budget for 2023 provides for total consolidated expenditure for Defense of 2,584.9 million euros, of which 1,147.5 million for “personnel expenditure”.

In turn, Sergeant António Lima Coelho, of the National Association of Sergeants (ANS), said he had not been informed of any negotiations, expressing an interest in understanding “with whom you effectively minister” talked.

“It is very serious for a government official to say something like this when he knows he is not telling the truth. Or else it is good that you clarify with whom, in what context and to what extent said negotiations take place”maintained.

Cabo-mor Paulo Amaral, president of the Association Praças (AP), also expressed “strangeness and astonishment”: “I don’t know where the minister has this information or with whom the minister is negotiating and it would be important to hear from the minister who are the entities, the institutions with whom she is negotiating the issue of salary increases”.

Aid to Ukraine

As for the war in Ukraine, the Minister of Defense announced that Portugal would send six Kamov fire-fighting helicopters to the country invaded by Russia.

with Lisa