- Collective bargaining
- Equal treatment in the civil service
1. Collective bargaining
Sectoral (central) collective agreement:
- concluded by the state and the relevant sectoral trade union;
- establishes conditions more favourable than legislation for the employment of civil servants;
- binding on all civil-service authorities;
- typically negotiates a reduction in working hours, an increase in the basic amount of leave, and an increase in salaries, severance pay and the leaving allowance.
Under the sectoral collective agreement:
- civil servants have a working week of 37.5 hours;
- the basic amount of leave is 5 weeks, or 6 weeks for civil servants who are at least 33 by the end of the calendar year; or who have a child in their permanent care;
- salary scales of civil servants will be increased by 3% from 1 July 2022
- the leaving allowance is increased by 1 month’s salary;
- the severance pay is increased by 1 month’s salary.
Company collective agreement (i.e. at the level of each civil-service authority):
- concluded by a specific civil-service authority and the relevant trade union body;
- establishes conditions more favourable than legislation or the sectoral collective agreement for the employment of civil servants;
- binding on the specific civil-service authority;
- usually negotiates an increase in severance pay, the leaving allowance, sick pay, remuneration.
2. Equal treatment in the civil service
A civil-service authority is obliged to treat civil servants in accordance with the principle of equal treatment established by the Anti-discrimination Act, especially as regards:
- conditions of employment;
- remuneration;
- training;
- opportunities for promotion within the civil service; and
- the termination of employment as a civil servant.
In the employment of civil servants, discrimination on grounds of sex, sexual orientation, religion or belief, race, nationality or ethnicity, colour, language, social origin, property, birth, ill health or disability, age, marital status, family status, political opinion, membership of or activity within a trade union or other association, on grounds of another status, or on grounds of the notification of a crime or other antisocial activity, is prohibited.
Civil servants who believe that their rights have been infringed by non-observance of the principle of equal treatment may apply to the civil-service authority or a court for protection. Such protection may also be sought by a citizen applying to join the civil service.
Last modified: 7. 4. 2022
Publication date: 26. 11. 2020