Professional soldiers oppose Ministry of Defense plan and announce protest

Professional soldiers have opposed the Ministry of Defense’s proposal concerning their status after the age of 45 and announced that they will protest on November 7. They are calling for a solution regarding their status, the opportunity to continue working until the standard retirement age, equal pension rights and higher salaries. Currently, soldiers work on fixed-term contracts and, when they turn 45, are left without jobs.

“For 25 years, professional soldiers have worked on fixed-term contracts. I believe we are the only ones in the country who work this way and, when we turn 45, we are left without jobs one day before our birthday. This does not happen in any other NATO country. We will be the first NATO country where the army protests,” said Aleksandar Naskovski, chairman of the Independent Union of Professional Soldiers.

Defense Minister Vllado Misajllovski said a day earlier that an agreement had been reached with army personnel to resolve this long-standing problem. According to him, after retiring at the age of 45, professional soldiers will move from military to civilian status and will decide for themselves whether they want to continue serving in the army.

“The reform creates a new opportunity and provides that every professional soldier, upon turning 45, will have another option, in accordance with the law. At this age, each person may choose to receive compensation for the termination of their employment contract, amounting to approximately 30,000 to 40,000 euros, move to another state institution or continue serving in the Army,” Defense Minister Vllado Misajllovski stated.

The union opposes the minister’s proposal and claims that the soldiers involved have been manipulated. “Minister Misajllovski’s proposal does not constitute a legal solution. He is not proposing an amendment to the law, but is presenting as an option something that does not exist, referring to a provision that is already part of the law. Soldiers are being told that they will move to civilian positions in security, but no such option exists in the army. They are being manipulated with the claim that they will keep their salaries. This is not true, because the law on security services provides for salaries to be calculated under rules different from those applied to military personnel. As a result, these people will have lower salaries and worse conditions,” emphasized Aleksandar Naskovski, chairman of the Independent Union of Professional Soldiers.

According to the union, more than 600 soldiers have been affected over the years by the lack of a legal solution and should receive compensation for their losses./Alsat/