Where is the bonus for master craftsman’s certificate holders and BTS graduates?

The introduction of a bonus for holders of a “Brevet de technicien supérieur” or a master craftsman’s certificate in the B1 career bracket was one of the points in the civil service wage agreement that the OGBL, which remains excluded from these negotiations even though it represents tens of thousands of workers, civil servants and employees who depend directly or indirectly on the wage agreement, expressly welcomed.

On the one hand, for civil servants with a BTS qualification, this is the first recognition of their post-baccalaureate studies. For holders of the master craftsman’s diploma, it does not yet meet the OGBL’s demand that the master craftsman’s diploma be upgraded to level 6 of the qualification framework, but it is a first step in this direction.

The provisions of the wage agreement on various bonuses were unanimously approved by the Chamber of Deputies on July 20, 2023, and the corresponding law was published in the Mémorial on August 2 (law of July 26, 2023).

Accordingly, the civil servants concerned expected the bonus of 10 points (for up to 5 years of service) or 15 points to be paid into their account with their next salary. Since nothing has happened, several of the affected officials have contacted the OGBL to ask why they are not receiving the bonus despite having the relevant diplomas.

In fact, the new law stipulates that the bonus will not be paid automatically to all holders of the BTS or master certificate. Instead, the law refers to a “Règlement grand-ducal” in which the “procedure for the attribution of the premium” (“procédure d’attribution de la prime”) will be defined.

This raises a number of questions that have already been addressed by the Professional Chamber of Civil Servants and Employees in its opinion on the draft law. Will civil servants holding the relevant diplomas have to submit a written application to receive the bonus? What are the deadlines? Can the bonus be refused? If so, on what grounds?

So far, there is no trace of the announced “Règlement grand-ducal”. And it seems that no bonuses will be paid until this regulation is in place.

The OGBL calls on the Minister of the Civil Service and the government as a whole to act as quickly as possible, not to introduce any absurd obstacles in the regulations, but on the contrary to ensure that the B1 career civil servants concerned can enjoy the recognition of their training that they are entitled to as soon as possible!

Communicated by the Civil Service Department of the OGBL, October 4, 2023