Contract soldiers receive pay rise
Professional soldiers received a pay rise after the cabinet approved a proposal made by Defence Minister Vasilis Palmas. The new pay scales will come into effect from July 1, with soldiers now on the public sector A2-A5-A7 scale. The government aims to strengthen the value of the National Guard by improving operational capacity through the hiring of contract soldiers. Future contract soldier recruits will be hired for a total of 10 years of service based on consecutive contracts ranging between a year and three years in length.