The volunteer period for the army should be reduced from five years to three, according to the Professional Union of the Luxembourgish Army (SPAL).
President Christian Schleck told RTL Radio that extending the length of service could put potential candidates off, and the army could lose recruits during volunteering. He suggested reducing the time to three years, while offering a five year option to candidates.
Schleck also bemoaned the lack of financial improvements for army volunteers in the law drafted by minister François Bausch. According to Schleck, there should be more investment in the careers of C1 and C2 civil servants, for specific roles. The text of the law is expected to adapt army careers so they fall in line with those found within the police.
The union has noted increasing numbers of candidates transferring from the army to the police, seeking better career prospects. In the meantime, the army has suffered from a shortage of staff. Schleck said this was not due to slow recruitment, but rather to candidates dropping out from the career path for various reasons.
Recently, former Chief of Staff Alain Duschène attempted to order Schleck's demotion as president of the union, but the transfer did not take place. Schleck said he believed this was intended to hamper his work as a trade unionist, but declined to comment further as the legal procedure is still ongoing.
Schleck concluded by saying that relations with the new Chief of Staff Steve Thull had improved in comparison.
