ZAGREB, Jan 22 (Hina) - Commenting on information published in a Croatian daily that military pilots in the Zadar airforce base were on silent strike, the Defence Ministry said Wednesday that "it is too early to say whether this is
some form of protest or real difficulties of pilots".
ZAGREB, Jan 22 (Hina) - Commenting on information published in a
Croatian daily that military pilots in the Zadar airforce base were
on silent strike, the Defence Ministry said Wednesday that "it is
too early to say whether this is some form of protest or real
difficulties of pilots". #L#
Citing statements by pilots from the "Rudolf Perisin" military
training centre, the daily ran an article in Wednesday's issue
saying that 60 pilot instructors who underwent a regular medical
check-up said on Monday that they were incapable of flying due to
depression.
The reason for the strike, according to the daily, is the
dissatisfaction of pilots with regulations on salary bonuses and
the way of the payment of salaries to members of the Armed Forces.
According to the regulations, the salaries of military pilots have
been decreased by between 1,000 and 2,000 kuna.
It is too early to say whether this is some kind of protest or true
difficulties of pilots, since all of them, (39) are performing
their duties today, the ministry's press release states. It adds
that pilots still have the highest salaries in the Armed Forces.
The ministry will report on the true reasons for events in the
airforce base in Zadar after all relevant facts are established.
Armed Forces members and employees of the Defence Ministry last
week received salaries under the new system, which constitutes the
first increase in the base salary since 1995. However, the salaries
for many of them are lower because bonuses have not been paid.
The ministry says that the new payment system has not yet become a
routine, and new solutions should be passed for the payment of
bonuses. Whoever will have the right to bonuses in line with the
solutions, they will be paid retroactively.
The pilot bonus for the most trained pilots of supersonic planes is
3,386 kuna, the bonus for the most trained pilots of a fighter
helicopter is 2,962 kuna, while that for pilots of light aircraft
and helicopters is 2,751 kuna.
EUR1 = 7.5 kuna
(hina) lml sb