The Grand Ducal Fire and Rescue Corps (CGDIS) has been operational since 1 July. Pirate Party MP Marc Georgen asked Minister for Home Affair Taina Bofferding to clarify the remuneration required for volunteers working for Luxembourg's emergency services.
Bofferding replied that a large number of volunteers have been compensated and that payments are still ongoing.
There are several different types of payments to be made.
The first is a lump sum of around €30,000, distributed to the heads of roughly 270 centres, and their assistants, in February this year.
The second is a permanent allowance for each individual volunteer firefighter, consisting of €1 or €10 per hour, depending on whether the volunteer participates from home or from a specific barracks. The minister confirmed these would be paid throughout April, respecting similar deadlines as in past years.
The CGDIS board of directors also confirmed an intervention allowance, which will be paid retroactively.
Volunteers who complete training at the National Institute of Rescue Training (INFS) will also be compensated. To date, 1000 of these volunteers have received compensation. Volunteer firefighters were given until 31st March to register their claim for reimbursement, as well as for additional insurance costs. CGDIS will take care of these payments.
According to the minister, there are numerous reasons for the delay in payments. Among other things, the sheer number of volunteers joining the new corps - 4000 to date - had taken up time and effort. The compensation system was centralised from 1 July 2018, which also took time to update and become operational in order to guarantee a fairer system.
CGDIS consequently modernised its IT programmes to monitor hours worked and optimise the payment thereof. The new system will reduce the time required to make future payments from now on, Bofferding hopes.
