Ministry to Reassess Only 10 Civil Servants' Job Classifications After Court Rulings

The Ministry of Public Function plans to reassess job classifications only for about 10 general administration civil servants who successfully challenged their 2023-2024 reclassifications in Batllia court, despite union claims that recent rulings invalidate the entire process and open appeals for all affected workers.

The Batllia administrative court annulled the challenged decisions due to procedural flaws, including the lack of a required prior regulation, failure to involve the legally mandated Technical Committee on Organisation and Management (CTOG)—which must propose classifications and includes two union representatives—and use of STRATA, an unregulated proprietary methodology from PwC. This approach withheld evaluation details and scores from workers and courts, undermining oversight. One ruling highlighted the executive's admission that the CTOG played no role. Government sources indicated it would not appeal to avoid adverse precedent.

In response, officials are finalising a new regulatory framework, negotiated with unions over about a month under Batllia guidelines, for potential approval at the upcoming Council of Ministers meeting. It will omit the evaluation and scoring system—despite union calls—which is to be approved separately and published via other channels to address transparency concerns.

The SIPAAG union, supported by SEP, has intensified criticism, accusing the government of opacity for systematically refusing to share the Batllia resolutions with worker representatives, forcing the syndicate to obtain them directly from the court. In a statement released yesterday, SIPAAG argued the rulings declare the full 2023-2024 process null and void, requiring the administration to backtrack, repeat it properly with CTOG input, and issue new administrative acts. This, they say, will trigger fresh appeal periods for everyone, regardless of prior deadlines. The union has prepared claim templates for dissatisfied workers, urging them to demand a "fair, transparent, and legal" review while assuring that those who advanced in good faith will retain consolidated economic rights. SIPAAG aims to correct undervalued positions without harming upgrades.

Ministry sources downplayed the judgments, insisting internal protocols were followed, consultancy provided objectivity, and all data—including for courts—was accessible. The Batllia rejected these defenses, citing insufficient information for judicial review.

Workers remain split: beneficiaries fear downgrades, while others see an opening for corrections.