Over 150 Proposed Amendments for Federal Civil Service Bill as Deadline Nears

Approximately 150 amendment proposals have been submitted for consideration on Bill 2080, which aims to establish regulations concerning the formation, operation, and terms of service within the Federal Civil Service. The Parliament Secretariat confirmed that by 5 PM on Sunday, the deadline for amendments, a total of 150 proposals had been lodged. The bill was initially deliberated in a session of the House of Representatives last Wednesday, where it garnered approval, subsequently allowing lawmakers the opportunity to register their proposed amendments.

The bill notably includes provisions designating the chief secretary of provincial governments as a federal civil service post, while also outlining the status of provincial ministry secretaries as 12th-level civil service positions. Furthermore, the legislation stipulates that chief administrative officers of local governments will be appointed at the federal level for a ten-year term following the law's promulgation. This provision has prompted numerous lawmakers to propose amendments, particularly in response to appeals from provincial employees.

Several key amendments have been proposed concerning the age of civil service employees, including a provision to extend the retirement age from 58 to 60 years. Additionally, adjustments to pension liabilities and conditions for voluntary retirement for civil servants aged 55 and above have been addressed in the bill. Parliamentarians have also put forth amendments to maintain existing service entry criteria for women and men, which currently stand at 40 years and 35 years, respectively. Despite earlier suggestions for trade unions to remain politically neutral and calls for performance-based evaluation systems, the majority of amendment proposals primarily focus on the concerns of civil servants, with significant pressure from local and provincial employees seeking adjustments to their rights within the bill.