President calls for open selection of public service staff

According to the press release, the amendments to the Labour Code were in part triggered by the reform of the public service planned by the government, which may cause some of the public servants to change their employment to contracts.

“We have heard about the government’s plans to lower the number of public servants but it seems like this will be done at the expense of more people working under labour contracts,” presidential adviser Mindaugas Lingė told BNS on Wednesday.

In his words, there are many cases in the public sector where employees carry out similar functions but have a different status, some have employment contracts and others are public servants who are subjected to stricter selection and requirements.

According to the press release, the obligation to hold open selection “will curb corruption and hiring of relatives, friends or party fellows in the public sector.”

The bill is still in preparation and is yet to be registered.

According to the President’s Office, currently 70,000 employees to state and municipal companies, institutions and offices and companies operated by the state and municipalities are hired without any competitions.

The government approved a new version of the Law on Public Service in January before submitting it to the parliament spring session.

Interior Minister Eimutis Misiūnas has expressed support to the president’s initiative, however, disagrees with the opinion that the reform would raise the number of persons working in public service under labour contracts.