Dutch Draftees Get Another Benefit--Overtime Pay

The Dutch army, which pioneered the concept of a unionized military with a 38-hour workweek, has now introduced another benefit to keep its draftees happy--overtime pay.

Under the new arrangement, the Netherlands’ 50,000 draftees will receive the equivalent of nine days pay per year to compensate for overtime, according to the Defense Ministry.

The new plan will cost the government $17.85 million, or $357 per soldier.

Conscript pay now ranges from $365 a month for an 18-year-old private to $490 for one 23 or older.

Mandatory military service in the Netherlands ranges from 16 to 24 months depending on branch, rank and specialization.

There will also be a $11.60 daily bonus for weekend maneuvers lasting more than 24 hours and a $6.10 bonus for weekday maneuvers longer than 24 hours.

There are additional bonuses for weekend and holiday duty.

The overtime pay program, based on the average amount of overtime worked by military personnel, was introduced last month because the previous system of compensation for long hours with extra leave left too little time for training, a ministry spokesman said.