Military staff run higher risk of work accident

1. At its meeting on 29 June 2018, the ACOM Board spent most of its time on the discussion of the organisation’s financial and secretarial report of 2017, which were both unanimously approved. Unanimous was also the voting in favour of the re-election of board member F.T.C. (Frank) Voogt for a new “functional period”.

2. Defence and the four departments of Staff of Defence have reached an agreement on elementary working conditions regulations. This concerns an agreement on working conditions and new military pensions regulations.

3. Considering the activities which a member of the military in the Netherlands are engaged in, they run higher risks of suffering from corporal injury or mental damage, as a result of their taking part in a military (camp) exercise or performing an official duty.

Occupational accident or military service accident? When military staff have become victim of an accident and suffer from corporal or mental injury, a difference is made as to whether the accident can be defined as an occupational accident or a military service accident. In short, an occupational accident refers to an accident which has occurred under occupational circumstances related to the normal duties of the military, while a military service accident has occurred under special occupational circumstances. This will have consequences as to the provisions which the member of the military staff will be juridically entitled to, for example, only in the second case, the member of the military can claim to enjoy the benefit of an invalidity (work incapacity) pension.

An important element in defining whether the accident is an occupational accident or a military service accident is the official statement drawn up as a result of the accident.

Can it be more clear why members of the military should be able to rely on the help from a trade union?