Director of the PJ states that “it is starting to no longer be attractive to compete for the GNR and PSP” – Portugal

The national director of the Judiciary Police considered this Friday that the lack of remuneration enhancement in other security forces is making careers in the PSP and GNR less attractive, stressing that this is a problem for the country.

In reaction to the presentation of the Government’s proposal to the platform of unions and associations of the Public Security Police (PSP) and National Republican Guard (GNR), Luís Neves reiterated his support for the valorization of elements of the other security forces, after the PJ had been contemplated at the end of 2023 with the granting of a mission supplement that substantially increased the salaries of its professionals.

“I have always said that I understand that people should have better remuneration conditions, because it is starting to no longer be attractive to compete for the GNR and PSP. And it is clear that these issues are not problems for either the PSP or the GNR, they are problems for the collective and for the country”, he said, speaking to journalists on the sidelines of the ceremony marking the 113th anniversary of the National Republican Guard (GNR).

Luís Neves admitted that he was speaking not only as a “leader of a police force that often relies” on colleagues from other security forces, but also “as a citizen”, although he admitted that he did not know in detail the proposal presented by the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MAY).

“I’m not familiar with the Government’s proposal, it’s a matter where we have the issue resolved. I’m not going to make any comments, because I don’t comment on issues that don’t concern the institution. I’ve already said what I think about the other comrades from the other forces, we’re happy in the relationship we have with them and that is what is important to encourage every day”, he said.

On Thursday, the Minister of Internal Administration proposed a new mission supplement for members of the PSP and GNR of between 365.13 and 625.94 euros, which will replace the current supplement for service and risk in the security forces .

With this new mission supplement, which takes as a reference the base salaries of the national director of the PSP and the general commander of the GNR, which is 5,216.23 euros, there are police and military personnel from the GNR who receive a lower salary to what they currently earn, according to the PSP unions and GNR associations, who met with Margarida Blasco on Thursday.

The current supplement for service and risk in the security forces that PSP and GNR members receive has a variable component that corresponds to 20% of the base salary and a fixed component of 100 euros.

According to the proposal presented by the Government to the PSP unions, officers would receive a mission supplement of 12% of the base salary of the PSP national director and the GNR commander, while the percentage for PSP chiefs and GNR sergeants is 9% and for agents and guards it is 7%.

The police demand a mission supplement identical to that which the previous Socialist Government allocated to the Judiciary Police, which in some cases led to an increase of around 700 euros.

At the end of the meeting with the minister, the leaders of the PSP unions and the GNR socio-professional associations expressed their complete opposition to this Government proposal and stated that they felt “extremely unfair”. The platform that brings together these platform structures will present a counterproposal to the minister at the next meeting, on May 15th.