Defense Minister asks Lula to increase military salaries after crisis of mistrust

Military

Demand was presented by commanders of the Armed Forces in the face of the dissatisfaction of squares and non-commissioned officers

Brasilia DF) – The Minister of Defense, José Múcio Monteiro, pledged with the commanders of the Armed Forces to make an effort together with President Lula (PT) and the economic team to grant an increase of around 9% for the salary of the military.

The military leaders presented the demand to Múcio in conversations in July and August.

The assessment in military leadership, especially in the Army, is that there is widespread dissatisfaction among enlisted men and non-commissioned officers with the salaries they receive.

The opposition has increased since 2019, when what was supposed to be a pension reform for the military turned into a career restructuring, with the creation of a series of benefits linked to the completion of courses and promotions for length of service.

The benefits, in practice, created a series of distortions in the earnings of the military — a movement that increased the earnings of senior officers and general officers and reduced or stagnated those of enlisted and low-ranking soldiers.

Generals fatten their salaries with allowances of up to R$ 150,000 paid in military movements, which generally occur every two years. The amount rises to around R$300,000 when they go to the reserve.

According to reports, Múcio has already had conversations about the salary increase of the military with Lula and the Minister of Management, Esther Dweck. A new round of talks will take place in September and October, when discussions on the 2024 budget are expected to gain traction.

The thesis defended by the Defense is that the treatment of civilians and military personnel should be the same. As civil servants received approval for a 9% increase in their salaries, Múcio hopes to get the same readjustment for uniforms.

In the Army, Commander Tomás Paiva appointed the Force’s Chief of Staff, General Fernando Soares, to create a working group to present a proposal for a salary adjustment for the Force’s military personnel.

Generals heard by Newspaper argue that enlisted men and non-commissioned officers currently receive a salary that is up to 30% lower than that paid until 2001, when then-president Fernando Henrique Cardoso (PSDB) issued a provisional measure —dubbed in the barracks as “MP do Mal”— that reduced or extinguished a series of military benefits.

The 2019 career restructuring, led by former president Jair Bolsonaro (PL), widened the salary gap without making relevant changes to pay — the base of the military’s salary.

The law increased the additional amount that soldiers receive for courses taken during their careers — a percentage that is multiplied by pay to compose the military’s gross salary.

The specialization course rose from 16% to 27%, for example. The number of high studies jumped from 30% to 73%.

The problem, according to reports from sergeants, is that the courses are only released to the military after they reach certain ranks or length of service. In the case of privates, there are fewer vacancies in the classes than for officers.

For example, officers trained at Aman (Military Academy of Agulhas Negras) are allowed to take the improvement course 8 years after joining the Force. 12 years.

Experts and researchers from the Armed Forces criticize the strategy of Múcio and commanders Tomás Paiva (Army), Marcelo Damasceno (Air Force) and Marcos Olsen (Navy) of seeking a salary adjustment to increase the appreciation of the military.

*With information from Folha

Read more:

Lula wants reparations for Dilma after the filing of the ‘fiscal pedaling’ action

PM indicts military involved in the death of teenager in Rio

Ministry of Defense will not endorse the end of civic-military schools