Romain Wolff, president of the General Confederation of the Civil Service (CGFP), on Tuesday morning joined RTL Radio for an interview in which he discussed the recently passed salary agreement for the public service, labelling the 2.5% salary increase long overdue. However, when asked about rumours that the CGFP had actually demanded an 8% increase, Wolff refrained from commenting.
He expressed satisfaction that negotiations were held exclusively between the CGFP and the civil service minister, arguing that “too many people at the table” tend to complicate matters. He therefore underlined that their constituents are still indirectly involved in the discussions since every agreement must ultimately be approved by the CGFP’s federal committee.
Wolff elaborated that the Confederation refrained from asking for salary improvements during economically challenging times like the financial crisis or the Covid-19 pandemic, arguing that with conditions now more favourable, it had become time for salaries to catch up.
He rejected criticism that the salary increase is being distributed indiscriminately rather than in a socially selective or performance-based manner, stating that thanks to one of the points in the new agreement, people who take on more responsibility will be rewarded accordingly.
The 2022 salary adjustments, in contrast, were made in a more socially selective manner, with lower wages seeing more significant proportional increases than higher ones. While social selectivity remains just as important today, Wolff insisted that now was simply the right time for a linear increase in the point value system.
He also pointed out that they are still waiting for lower career levels to be harmonised – a project that has yet to pass through the Chamber of Deputies.
Wolff further emphasised that better salaries might help the public sector cover staff shortages and fill the, current, over 400 job openings. However, he noted that improved working conditions are equally important, pointing to the introduction of the ‘time savings account’ and better teleworking conditions as potential solutions.
The CGFP president also defended the separate health and pension funds for civil servants, saying that he sees no reason to change the system.
