Private sector will not benefit from the state official premium

Every year, the state pays a total of 133 million euros to its civil servants from the public service – because every month around 18,200 state officials benefit from the « Allocation de Famille ». That is about 675 euros gross per month. In contrast, anyone who works in the private sector is not a legal right to such a premium.

Dara Miranda finds that unfair. That’s why she has The petition 3000 launched. In it, she advocates equality between public and private sector. With her request, she was able to collect over 4,800 signatures and thus the necessary quorum so that her petition in the chamber is publicly listened to.

On Wednesday morning, Miranda explained to the parliamentarian why the private sector should also be entitled to the premium mentioned. Before that, she worked in a facility funded by the state and benefited from the premium – but no longer in her new job in the private sector. « I want to do a job that I like and not because I get a certain premium, » she explains her job change to the MPs.

As a single mother, however, she sometimes had difficulty making a financial basis, like many other people here in the country. In the end, the “Allocation de Famille” should not be concerned with the employees – but about the children. The fact that children of state officials who have more security and an average of higher incomes benefit from the additional financial support, but those from the private sector are not unfair to these children. « Children should all have the same rights, » says Miranda.

Mischo: « Not intended in the coalition agreement »

Minister of Labor Georges Mischo (CSV), however, is completely different. The « Allocation de Family » is not a social measure and therefore not there to help families with low incomes, but it is simply a bonus that the state is in its function as an employer. The government would already do a lot in the social field, says Mischo: Revis, the increase in the Allocation de Vie Chère or the housing assistant – the list is long.

In addition, the question arises: who should pay for this premium? The government does not want to force companies to pour out the premium, Mischo clearly says. That would only harm the business location. However, the state does not want to pay for it either. And: The measure is not intended in the coalition agreement of the CSV/DP government anyway, which is why an introduction of the premium for the private sector is out of the question, he announced on Wednesday.

The President of the Labor Commission, Marc Spautz (CSV), also pointed out the pet by he had « a lot of sympathy » for her concern. What she claims is « not entirely correct ». There are enough companies in the private sector that pour out such a premium or have provided them in their collective agreement.