Dannatt calls for raised army pay

Thursday, 5 June 2008 12:00 AM

The head of the UK army has described low pay for servicemen and women as the most important challenge facing the army at present.

Writing in the Sun, General Sir Richard Dannatt asked for above-inflation pay rises for troops over the next two years.

Soldiers were given a 2.6 per cent pay rise by the government's last pay review.

Gen Dannatt said the basic starting salary of a new recruit was less than a traffic warden could expect to earn.

The basic pay of a serviceman is £16,227 in recorded pay, with individuals' pay increasing depending upon operations.

"You look to see how much a traffic warden is paid and compare that against what a private soldier gets paid," the general said during a trip to Afghanistan.

"If you compare a police constable on overtime, I think you will find that an individual serviceman gets quite a lot less."

A Ministry of Defence (MoD) spokesperson said there was "no rift" between ministers and the chief of the general staff on this issue.

Gen Dannatt is understood to have already voiced similar concerns to defence ministers.

Servicemen and women's pay depends on the armed forces pay review body's recommendation to the government.

Gen Dannatt added: "Servicemen go on operations knowing they are putting their lives on the line. It is very hard to put a price on that."

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