The government is set to fundamentally revise the bill for the planned creation of the Luxembourg Medicines and Health Products Agency (ALMPS), incorporating key demands from the General Confederation of the Civil Service (CGFP).
In a press release issued on Tuesday, the CGFP announced it feels vindicated by the development, confirming that the legislation will be completely reworked. The announcement follows discussions at the union’s general assembly on Monday, where delegates addressed the growing number of public bodies and its impact on civil service status. The CGFP explicitly welcomed the recent progress in the health sector during the meeting.
According to the CGFP, Minister of Health Martine Deprez has signalled her willingness to amend the ALMPS bill. The union’s primary demands are expected to be met, meaning that employees of the future agency would, in principle, benefit from public sector status. The union specified that exceptions would only be considered in specific cases “when no other solution is possible.”
As a direct result of this development, the conciliation procedure initiated by the CGFP against the government remains provisionally suspended. This follows a recent meeting between CGFP representatives, Prime Minister Luc Frieden, and Minister for the Civil Service Serge Wilmes.
During those talks, it was also agreed to establish clear criteria for the creation and management of public bodies. The CGFP now awaits concrete proposals from political leaders on this matter.
In its press release, the union reiterated its long-standing warning against a growing tendency to create new bodies without first assessing whether their tasks could be handled within existing administrations. According to the CGFP, this practice risks weakening public sector status and moving an increasing number of state functions outside the traditional civil service framework.
Tax reform was another key topic at the general assembly. The CGFP stated it is currently conducting a detailed analysis of the proposal and will only issue an official position once this review is complete.
However, the union has already voiced criticism regarding the fact that not all index-linked bands will be included in the adjustment of the tax scale to inflation by 2028. Instead, these bands will be used to finance the reform. The CGFP warned that this could lead to financial losses for citizens in the coming years. At the same time, the union expressed support for the plan to adjust the tax scale to inflation automatically, despite it not being applied directly or in full.
Finally, the CGFP drew attention to the current economic and geopolitical situation. The union suggested that a tripartite meeting between the government and social partners may be necessary to jointly assess the consequences of the crisis and protect citizens’ purchasing power.
