There has only been a single meeting with Minister François Bausch since the election. Said meeting apparently wasn't very informative, but it gave the impression of a "new dynamic", particularly because of the Defence Coordinator, Gilles Feith.
The President of SPAL described Gilles Feith as "a man with little patience", who is not particularly popular among soldiers, but has a "rather good relation" with officers.
Chronic recruitment problems
Soldiers face a lot of uncertainty, not just in relation to the reform of the Army Act, which has been in the making for a number of years. SPAL is also especially concerned about the idea of opening up the army to more foreigners.
According to the President of SPAL, all possible steps should be taken to make the profession more attractive once again, before further opening up the army.
Recruitment difficulties can be attributed to the worsening career opportunities. One such example is that soldiers lost their right to priority if they wanted to become a mail carrier following their service.
"Illegal" working hours
Another factor which doesn't help with recruitment is the question of the B careers, which, unlike those in the police service, have not been adapted yet. Even though there had been some progress with the former Minister, Etienne Schneider, it was preferable to take the necessary time to avoid any mistakes, rather than rushing the reform.
There was also vehement criticism and an appeal to take swift action regarding the so-called "savings accounts for working hours". As soldiers work 9 hours and 45 minutes per day, they are in the illegal range. SPAL warned that those affected risk to take legal action in large numbers.
