Three thousand national guard soldiers are due to present themselves at boot camps in Nicosia, Larnaca, Limassol and Paphos on Tuesday.
Their arrival is due to be staggered to avoid inconvenience and should be completed by noon.
They will be informed of their duties and responsibilities and given information pertaining to their training, which is due to be completed in two weeks.
Unlike conscripts, they will be not be spending their nights in camp but will be free to leave after training each day.
After completing their time in camp the men will be sent to their units on November 14 where a second round of specialised training will begin.
According to their contracts, the soldiers are entitled to decide within six months, without paying any penalty, whether they want to stay in their position, or leave.
If they decide to stay, their first year will be considered as a probation period after which their contracts can be renewed every three years, up to three times.
The move to a more professional army is directly linked to the recent reduction of military service for conscripts to 14 months with authorities also hoping it will be an incentive for unemployed young men to stay in Cyprus rather than emigrating.
Contracted soldiers will receive €1,127 a month plus a 13th salary. The contracts will initially be for a year but can be renewed three times for three-year stints up to a maximum of 10 years’ service. On leaving the army soldiers can earn a bonus linked to their salary and time served, provided they complete three and a half years in total.
Working hours will be from 7am to 2pm, five days a week but not excluding duty shifts, identical to the National Guard’s permanent staff, with 20 days holiday a year, the EU minimum and 28 paid sick leave days which could be extended for another 14 days on an army doctor’s orders. Medical treatment in state hospitals will be provided to contracted soldiers and their wives and children. Uniforms will be provided free, as will buses to the camps.
Soldiers will be able to enhance their job skills during service with fees at private universities with which the defence ministry already has cooperation agreements reduced by up to a half for afternoon and night classes.
