The number of voluntary resignations of people working for the Flemish government has doubled over the past five years.
In 2019, 393 Flemish civil servants resigned voluntarily, about double compared to the 188 voluntary resignations in 2014, reports De Standaard, based on figures from Bart Somers, the Minister for Domestic Affairs. The same trend was noticed for the number of terminations by mutual agreement, which rose from 76 in 2014 to 253 in 2019.
The Flemish government is feeling the consequences of the competitive struggle in the tight labour market, they said. "This indicates that the government will also have to become more competitive," said Flemish MP Tom Ongena, reports Het Nieuwsblad.
In the meantime, Somers is working on a scenario to slowly do away with the permanent statutory appointments with the Flemish government, to make the transition to a more flexible system with contract workers.
Currently, about 70% of the more than 28,600 Flemish civil servants are permanently appointed.
Maïthé Chini
The Brussels Times
