On Wednesday morning, the Chamber of Deputies debated a petition calling for an increase to the daily lunch allowance for civil servants, raising it from €10.80 to €15.
This allowance was last increased in 2019 by €60 per month. MPs approved the increase from €144 to €204 per month before the legislative elections. During the debate, petitioners argued that a new increase is warranted, citing significant rises in food prices since then. Petitioner Mareck Frantzen stated that such an adjustment would be “a correction” and a “necessary measure for equity and recognition of the work done by civil servants,” rather than a “luxury”.
The parliamentary debate was brief. MP Jean-Paul Schaaf of the Christian Social People’s Party (CSV) sought clarification on specific points, including whether the net allowance is actually spent at restaurants. While MP Marc Goergen of the Pirate Party expressed support for the petitioners, Minister for the Civil Service Serge Wilmes politely signalled hesitation. He pointed to the recent public sector pay rise as a substantive improvement.
The latest public sector wage agreement included a salary increase of 2.5%.
Minister Wilmes illustrated its impact with examples: for a civil servant in a C2 career with an average monthly salary of €5,500, the increase amounts to €137. Applied to the average civil service salary of €9,388 per month, it represents an increase of €234. The minister concluded that, considering this and other improvements in the latest agreement, the state had “done its homework” to ensure good working conditions.
Following the debate, Francine Closener, president of the Parliamentary Petitions Committee and an MP for the Luxembourg Socialist Workers’ Party (LSAP), summarised the outcome. She noted that the Chamber of Deputies cannot override an existing wage agreement. Consequently, the committee recommended that the petitioners direct their request to the trade unions negotiating the next public sector agreement, which is due for 2027.
