Wives and partners of members of the Defence Forces claim one in five personnel rely on social welfare payments to make ends meet.
Members of the group are holding demonstrations outside barrack's across the country today, on behalf of their partners who are not allowed protest.
They're looking for better pay and conditions and say they're the only public servants who don't have access to the Workplace Relations Commission.
Shelley Cotter's husband and son are both members of the Navy - she's protesting outside the Naval base at Haulbowline in Cork:
