Pdforra, the association representing soldiers, sailors and aircrew of the Defence Forces today said it would resist Department of Defence efforts to silence it on pay matters.
Speaking at the body's annual conference in Carlow today, Gerry Rooney, general secretary of Pdforra said: “We do not accept that we can be silenced on the issue of our pay or indeed cuts to our pay. The insistence of the Department that we should not question or campaign on this issue is not one that we can comply with."
Last month, the Department of Defence told Pdforra it must break contact with the alliance of frontline public sector workers such as gardaí, nurses and prison officers. The alliance is protesting against cuts in allowances and payments proposed in the McCarthy report.
Speaking at the conference, Minister for Defence Willie O’ Dea said he was aware of the impact measures such as the moratorium on recruitment, promotion and payment of acting allowances were having on the permanent Defence Force in the light of the very high turnover rate that is part of any military organisation.
However, he said "the Department and the Defence Forces, like all areas of the public service, must contribute towards resolving the current challenges facing the country".