Christian Schleck, president of the Professional Union of the Luxembourgish Army (SPAL), sat down for an interview on RTL Radio on Tuesday to discuss the new draft law on the organisation of the armed forces.
The draft law on the organisation of the Luxembourg Army is one of several still to be put to a vote in the Chamber of Deputies this week. "We think it's going very fast, and we hope it's not being rushed. As it stands now, for us it's the law of missed opportunities," said Schleck at the beginning of the interview.
The Army needs a modern law, the union president further argued. The SPAL is particularly concerned about the planned evaluation, questioning why such a system would be introduced when it has already been abolished in the civil service itself.
The SPAL also criticises the use of the term 'ethics' in the draft law, which can be "stretched like a rubber band". In addition, there is talk of a a bonus being introduced, but not everyone seems to be eligible. According to the union, bonuses should however be allocated to everyone from "soldiers to officers".
Future prospects for soldiers
However, there are also positive aspects to the new law, notably the introduction of new 'B1' and 'A2' careers. This is extremely important, said Schleck, arguing that they would otherwise be lagging behind the rest of the civil service.
Yet, here too, the opportunity to modernise the status of soldier in general has been missed, stated the union president. He cited the introduction of a 'C2' career as one example.
While the Minister of Defense hopes that more soldiers will now be recruited thanks to better career opportunities and remuneration possibilities, the SPAL president sees things differently. Introducing new careers doesn't necessarily mean an increase in soldiers, he said.
According to Schleck, the only thing the law has achieved for soldiers is that their CDD contract has been extended from three to four years, and this will not increase the attractiveness of the profession. Soldiers don't join the army to stay for life, but above all to have other prospects afterwards, he noted.
No recruitment plan
The SPAL official further voiced skepticism about the number of soldiers to be deployed in the new Belgian-Luxembourg NATO reconnaissance battalion. The target figure is high, and Schleck questioned where the necessary soldiers will come from.
By 2030, 375 soldiers are expected to arrive from the Grand Duchy although a recruitment plan is still missing.
Independent oversight
If the law on the organisation of the Army is voted through on Friday - to which the SPAL is not fundamentally opposed - the status of military personnel should in any case be reconsidered by the next government, argued the SPAL president. It would also be advisable to create a post of "military commissioner" as a neutral and independent body between Defence and Parliament, according to Schleck.
