The reform in the defence is already yielding its first positive results, bringing security and a permanent solution for our professional soldiers. Today, at the Ministry of Defence, employment contracts were signed with professional soldiers turning 45 years of age, as civilian personnel in the Ministry, transforming their status into civilian personnel in the Macedonian Army.
Today's signing of contracts is precisely the result of the reform that professional soldiers were previously unable to exercise. The soldiers who signed the indefinite-term employment contracts today had previously planned to leave with a financial compensation (severance pay). Instead of leaving the service, they will continue to work as civilian personnel after turning 45 years of age until their retirement.
This essential reform, which is the result of joint work with representatives of trade unions and the General Staff, puts an end to decades of uncertainty and opens a new, additional opportunity for professional soldiers — the transformation of employment status from fixed-term to indefinite-term. Meanwhile, the previous legal options, such as severance pay amounting to two national average salaries for each year spent in the Army, as well as their transfer to state and local government bodies, still remain in force for those who choose those options.
The stance of the Ministry of Defence and the General Staff is unanimous: there is no better, more experienced, or more trained personnel to perform tasks than the people who have spent their working lives in the Army. Professional soldiers are one of the pillars of our security, and this is the right way for the state to repay them for their contribution.
