Serge Wilmes refused to provide effective protection for victims of bullying in Luxembourg's public sector

Minister Vilmes' response to a parliamentary enquiry by MPs Gusti Graas and Fernand Etgen was a resounding disappointment to those expecting real change in the fight against mobbing in the public sector. The minister made it clear that he did not support the idea of an independent commission to investigate bullying, demonstrating that the problem is not recognised as serious enough at the level of the authorities.

According to the Quality of Work-Index prepared by CSL and the University of Luxembourg, 18 per cent of public sector employees have experienced bullying in the workplace. By comparison, this figure in the private sector is 15.7 per cent. In other words, the situation in the public sector is even worse than in commercial structures.

Instead of proposing new support measures, Minister Wilmes referred to existing procedures, which critics say only formally protect victims. In reality, they often lead to the isolation of victims and leave them alone with a system that tends to protect the perpetrators. In an environment where a worker is deprived of protection against dismissal in the first 10 years of service, making a complaint against a superior becomes a step that risks losing not only one's sanity but also one's job.

A reasonable question arises: why do employees in private companies have more effective mechanisms to protect themselves from mobbing than public employees? In private organisations, many companies have introduced independent grievance systems, which helps to maintain fairness and reduce workers' fear of repercussions. In public institutions, however, the procedure is often biased: ministries and agencies tend to protect management, even if they are involved in bullying.

The authors of the request and community activists demand that the government be responsible for the protection of its employees. They insist on the establishment of an independent body that can promptly deal with complaints of bullying and prevent such incidents. Such a body should not just record incidents of bullying, but also guarantee the anonymity and safety of victims, including the protection of their labour rights.

Failure to implement these measures jeopardises workers' trust in public institutions and their ability to protect their employees. While the authorities miss the opportunity to take concrete measures, thousands of people continue to work in an atmosphere of fear and psychological pressure.