The first round of conciliation between the General Confederation of the Civil Service (CGFP) and state representatives took place on Tuesday.
The CGFP initiated legal action against the government in mid-2023, contesting the provisions of the new Armed Forces Act that introduced an evaluation system. This move stirred controversy as the recent civil service salary agreement explicitly mandated the abolition of such a system across the civil service without exceptions. The CGFP qualifies this as breach of contract, as it considers the army to be part of the civil service.
The first meeting, spanning just under an hour, witnessed the CGFP meticulously presenting its case and articulating its arguments. In response to the perceived breach of contract, the trade union declared a general dispute. The next conciliation session is scheduled for 12 January 2024. It is not known who attended the meeting on behalf of the state, for example whether the new Minister for the Civil Service, Serge Wilmes, was present.
