SIGI’s mission is to develop software solutions to enable municipalities in Luxembourg to handle their tasks more efficiently and manages the IT network of almost all municipalities in Luxembourg.
The findings of the three audits were presented at a committee meeting on Tuesday evening, prompting shocked reactions from members and the resignation of SIGI’s long-standing president, Yves Wengler.
The first audit focused on complaints of bullying by management, which the auditors referred to as “conflict at work.” 40% of those interviewed said they had previously been victims of such a conflict. More than one in two said they had witnessed such a situation, and more than 40% reported feeling discriminated against. More than three quarters of those interviewed said that communication with management is poor, and nearly 80% of them do not trust human resources. Finally, one out of every two people said they are frequently stressed at work.
Outgoing SIGI President Yves Wengler, who is also the current mayor of Echternach, stated that he has no idea how it came to this. “I’ve always had a good relationship with the staff, they call me by my first name, there is no distance between us, and I’m at almost every office party,” Wengler explained, adding that he is “a bit surprised” that nobody has approached him to talk about the matter.
However, trade unions repeatedly drew attention to the problem over the past years. The Independent Luxembourg Trade Union Confederation (OGBL), for example, organised a protest picket in September 2021 to denounce the internal issues.
The results of the other two audits are no better. In the case of financial management, the auditors concluded that there is a lack of transparency. The audit also revealed a high rate of dissatisfaction among SIGI’s clients, i.e., the municipalities and associations of municipalities. SIGI appears to have a problem with large municipalities in particular.
Wengler, who has been president of SIGI for 22 years, cannot explain how this is possible: “It’s difficult to say, because you can’t see it. It’s incredibly difficult to grasp, and it comes as quite a shock when you don’t expect it.”
A “rescue plan” is currently being prepared to reorganise and improve SIGI. The decision as to who will succeed Yves Wengler is expected to be made after the Easter holidays.
It remains to be seen what consequences these audits will have at management level. The director, Carlo Gambucci, has been absent since the summer, reportedly on sick leave.
