Employees of the Erpeldange-sur-Sûre municipal administration have voiced complaints regarding the working methods of the municipal secretary, prompting the local council to commission an external audit.
Tensions have been rising among the municipality’s staff, a situation first reported by Tageblatt. The issue was raised during a public council meeting at the end of February, leading to the decision to bring in external investigators. According to information obtained by RTL, multiple criticisms have been directed at the municipal secretary, and there are concerns that major projects could be affected if the matter is not resolved swiftly.
Mayor Claude Gleis declined to comment on the internal staff conflicts, stating that the issue should be handled internally. However, as council meetings are recorded, it is possible to verify his remarks from the 23 February session. In the archived footage, Gleis confirms that following a working session with the local council, the municipal executive board decided to carry out an external audit “to see where the problems really lie, to finally have concrete facts on the table”. On that basis, he added, the board would then be in a position to make decisions.
Councillors present at the meeting unanimously approved a budget of €100,000 for the audit, although Gleis told RTL by phone that he expects the final cost to be lower.
According to RTL’s information, nearly all of the council’s approximately 20 employees are dissatisfied with the municipal secretary’s approach. The issue is not described as workplace bullying targeting specific individuals, but rather a general problem with his interpersonal style. He is alleged to be unreceptive to differing opinions and has reportedly told employees that if they are unhappy with how things are run in Erpeldange, they should find another job.
There is also said to be a conflict regarding the scope of the secretary’s responsibilities. He is reported to scrutinise whether employees are genuinely working from home and has allegedly excluded the technical department from certain decisions.
Speaking during the council meeting, Gleis noted that external audits are typically subject to a condition of urgency – a requirement he believes is met in this case. Stressing that resolving the matter is “in the interest of the municipality”, Gleis explained that “the idea, shared by the entire local council, is to move forward quickly in order to clarify all the accusations that have been circulating left, right and centre in recent weeks”.
However, these comments do not fully align with the information available to RTL. According to sources, dissatisfaction with the municipal secretary’s behaviour is not a recent development but has persisted for several years. It is understood that the mayor has intervened on multiple occasions in the past, though without achieving any lasting change.
Behind the scenes, it is alleged that several employees have recently resigned as a direct result of the situation, and further departures could follow if no action is taken. Depending on the positions affected, such resignations could delay major municipal projects, most notably the construction of a new primary school.
According to RTL’s information, the General Federation of Municipal Workers (FGFC) is also aware of the ongoing tensions. The union is reported to have held meetings with the employees who have raised complaints, as well as with the municipal secretary and the local council. Claude Reuter, the president of the FGFC, confirmed that he had spoken with the various parties involved but declined to comment further on the matter.
It is also worth noting that some councillors unfavourably recall that the municipal secretary frequently spoke out during council meetings before they began being recorded. At the time, he was also politically active and even served as a member of the municipal executive board in the neighbouring town of Bettendorf.
RTL also reached out to the municipal secretary for comment, but he declined to respond to the allegations and referred enquiries to the mayor.
