The demands being made by the Gurkha Army Ex-Servicemen´s Organisation (GAESO) of the British Government raise intricate questions that reflect the complexities that arise when one country recruits another´s able-bodied men as soldiers. The most important demands relate to pay and pension which amounts to GAESO insisting that Gurkhas be treated equally with British soldiers. The argument is that since Gurkhas are supposed to be an "integral part of the British army", all terms and conditions of service should be the same, including what Gurkhas earn.
Complications begin right there: if the British Government were to agree that both British and Gurkha soldiers get equal treatment retroactively, many of the agitating Gurkha pensioners would get a rude shock. Most Gurkhas retire after 15 years´ service, which is when they become eligible for pension. British soldiers, on the other hand, are required to serve 22 years before they get pensions. Those who serve less than 22 years (but have put in more than two years in the army) begin to receive pensions only from the age of 60, the amount depending on the number of years they have served.
There is no similar provision for Gurkhas serving less than 15 years, and the majority of those receiving pensions would not have served 22 years. If GAESO got its demand of equal treatment on salary and pension, many Gurkha pensioners might have their monthly payments stopped, with the direction that they apply upon reaching 60. Should this happen, the pension they would then receive would of course be twenty times more than what they now receive. But, even after taking into consideration that the average life-expectancy of Gurkha pensioners is slightly higher than national average of 54, there is the question as to how many would be around to collect the amount.
(It must be stated that amidst the strident calls for equality, GAESO officials seem willing to reach some middle ground on their demand for pensions, such as the cut-off date when "equal pensions" would begin.)