The Ministry of the Interior wants to reimburse police students for a climate fine in the future. According to the ministry, this is part of a package of measures to stimulate recruitment. The trade union FSG criticized. “Our request has now been granted at least in part,” said FSG chief Hermann Greylinger. However, it would have been better to extend the measure to all police officers, is the tenor of the red personnel representatives.
In concrete terms, all police trainees throughout Austria receive the climate ticket paid for by the Ministry during the two-year basic training. This also applies to administrative trainees and apprentices. “The regulation will come into force in the summer of 2023,” said spokesman Markus Haindl.
Changes to the driver’s license are also planned
In addition, future law enforcement officers should be reimbursed for the cost of their driver’s license during their training. “The prerequisite is the positive completion of basic training,” says Haindl. According to the ministry, the costs will then be reimbursed up to a maximum of 1400 euros. The driver’s license must then be proven by the sixth month of the training. Previously, a driver’s license was a condition for being admitted to the police force.
Reward for recruitment
A reward system is also planned for successful hires. “Police officers, but also BMI employees, receive a reward of 500 to 1000 euros if they successfully recruit a police student. The payment will only take place after the service test has been passed. “A similar arrangement also applies to the recruitment of IT staff or administrative staff,” said the spokesperson.
At the same time, the admission procedure will be adjusted. A negative selection process can now be made up faster than before. In the future, more attention should also be paid to social skills such as communication and conflict resolution. Interior Minister Gerhard Karner (ÖVP) stressed that “the further development of the selection process” takes into account the current challenges.
The Ministry of the Interior wants to make the police profession more attractive
Only recently did it become known that the Ministry of the Interior wanted to improve recruitment and make the profession more attractive. The department confirmed at the end of April that a package of measures was planned. “On the one hand, the innovations concern measures to appeal to applicants, to make the candidate experience and the profession more attractive, but also investments in employee loyalty,” said a spokesperson at the time.
Possible options include a lowering of the admission criteria in the sports section of the selection process or the possibility of repeating the test at the police academy in the event of a negative test result. “The points are currently still being planned and assessed on type, time and form of feasibility,” said the spokesperson. Implementation is planned for this year.
FSG locates “alibi action”
Greylinger saw it as an “alibi move”. “You have to drive bigger screws,” he said. He argues for a fundamental change in the salary and pension system. “These are the real screws to turn,” says the HR representative. “If you join from the age of 26, it is no longer possible to get the job allowance, job level 4, apart from the fact that the salaries for latecomers are more than unattractive,” says the FSG. In addition, the union calls for leniency in the basic military service or the establishment of childcare centers and other measures to boost recruitment.
Source: Krone
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
