After Civil Service Minister Serge Wilmes on Wednesday unveiled the details of the new civil service salary agreement, RTL spoke to lawmakers in the Chamber who offered mixed reactions to the announcement.
MP Maurice Bauer of the Christian Social People’s Party (CSV), who presides over the relevant parliamentary commission, asserted that the government has not yielded to union pressure but managed to negotiate an agreement to the “satisfaction of both sides”. Bauer further argued that the agreement is no only good news for civil servants, but for the country as a whole.
MP André Bauler of the Democratic Party (DP) noted that the initial demands had been considerably higher and expressed surprise and relief that a “responsible” outcome was ultimately reached.
Despite the fact that average public sector pay already exceeds the national average, MPs generally agreed that this should not be a reason to halt improvements to the state’s role as an employer and that the state must remain attractive to get the most skilled people.
MP Djuna Bernard of The Greens (Déi Gréng) also lauded the agreement, particularly its emphasis on education. She affirmed that the 2.5% increase was well-justified. However, Bernard underscored the importance of ensuring that the gap between the private and public sectors does not continue to widen over time.
“I raised concerns about the growing disparity between the lowest career level in the public sector and the minimum wage,” Bernard explained. “This gap remains significant and is not reduced by this agreement. And I fully understand the concerns in the private sector, where there naturally is mounting pressure on wages. And I think this is a challenge that must be addressed seriously.”
Read also: Employer representatives criticise civil service pay proposalMP David Wagner of The Left (Déi Lénk) expressed a broader perspective, emphasising that workers should not be pitted against one another. When public service employees benefit from good working conditions, it sets a benchmark for the private sector as well, Wagner noted, saying that it empowers workers to advocate for better wages and conditions that they “rightfully deserve”.
With this agreement, purchasing power would be strengthened, and part of the money would come back into the state’s coffers via taxes, according to Wagner.
