Military personnel demand end to unpaid duty without fair compensation

Military unions in Spain have raised their voices to denounce that guard duties, a pillar of the Armed Forces' operational capability, do not receive financial compensation commensurate with the effort. While in other security forces these hours are regulated with specific payments, soldiers often see their service time undervalued. This situation generates discontent and affects work-life balance, with a direct impact on troop morale.

soldier in olive uniform standing at attention in front of a digital time clock showing 24-hour shift elapsed, empty coffee cups and folded uniform on a metal desk in background, shadow of a military base barrack across the room, photorealistic technical illustration, cold fluorescent lighting, long exposure effect on clock numbers creating slight motion blur, worn boots and dog tags visible, tension in posture while hand rests on unmarked pay slip, dramatic contrast between sterile environment and human exhaustion, ultra-detailed fabric textures, cinematic composition

Towards an automated and transparent compensation system 🖥️

The technical solution would involve implementing time control software integrated with the Ministry of Defense's personnel management systems. This development would allow recording each guard duty, automatically calculating the corresponding bonus based on rank and hours, and generating error-free payrolls. Tools like SAP or open-source platforms could be adapted to audit accumulated hours in real time, eliminating the current opacity. A centralized database would also facilitate comparison with other state bodies.

Guard duty: that hobby they pay you with a coffee ☕

Let's face it, if for each guard duty they give you just enough for a vending machine coffee, it's no wonder some soldiers dream of becoming YouTubers or Glovo delivery drivers. Perhaps the next tactical advance will be to design a robot that does guard duty for you while you sleep at home. Meanwhile, we have to wait for the Ministry to decide to pay properly, or we'll see soldiers standing guard with a piggy bank in hand.