It is planned for volunteers in Latvia who sign up for National Defence Service voluntarily to be paid an annual compensation of 7 700 euros, as reported by the Ministry of Defence Military Public Relations Department.
The ministry’s representatives explain that the law provides troops with a number of benefits and other service-related guarantees.
Troops who sign up voluntarily are planned to be paid a monthly compensation of 600 euros,
whereas troops who are recruited will be eligible to 300 euros a month. At the end of their service, troops are also planned to be paid a retirement compensation of 1 100 euros.
This means the compensation for voluntary joining of national defence will be 7 700 euros annually.
The final decision on the size of the compensations paid to troops will be made by the Cabinet of Ministers.
Representatives of the Ministry of Defence also say that the compensation paid to troops who sign up for service with the National Guard or undergo officer training courses will be calculated in proportion to the days spent in service.
Troops will be provided with catering and accommodation for the duration of their service. Troops will be provided with paid health service. In certain cases troops will be able to acquire a driver’s licence in accordance with their specialisation.
Additionally, it is planned to make it mandatory for employers to keep the jobs of people recruited to military service open for them. Alternatively, upon their return, troops are to be provided with a job with equal or similar conditions.
As for education institutions, citizens recruited for military service are to be allowed to continue their studies after their return under the same conditions they had prior to starting their service.
At the start of April the Saeima passed in the final reading the National Defence Service Law.
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