2023-09-20 04:30:00
Liège school inspectors are at their wits’ end. They complain of harassment at work from their employer, the City of Liège. They filed a collective complaint with Cohezio, the external prevention and protection at work service. It is a former inspector, now retired, but still very knowledgeable, who alerts us to the situation.
A complaint to the Council of State which sets fire to the powder
It all starts in the year 2022. The education inspectors of the city of Liège must change their status. This notably involves a change in the collective agreement, but also in holidays which are no longer aligned with school holidays. Inspectors are complaining about a series of new rules that they find poorly suited to their job. But dialogue with their hierarchy seems impossible.
They then decided to file a complaint, collectively, with the Council of State, information that we were able to verify with the plaintiffs’ lawyer.
Intimidation, suspicion and discredit
From there, the situation very quickly becomes deleterious. The approach is clearly not appreciated by the hierarchy of inspectors at the City of Liège. This is the beginning of very strong tensions, as our informant, the former inspector, now retired, tells us.
He explains that school inspectors are victims of pressure and intimidation to bring them into line. The climate would be one of suspicion and discredit of their work. Finally, inspectors would be subject to constant surveillance to verify that they are in their office, even though their mission involves regular visits to schools.
In this extremely tense context, the inspectors decided to file a complaint once again. This collective complaint was filed in July 2023, it brings together almost all of the City’s education inspectors.
New complaint, for harassment
This time it is a request for psychosocial intervention from Cohezio, the external prevention and protection at work service. Understand: a complaint for harassment. This complaint targets their hierarchy, within the administration of the City of Liège. Here again, the plaintiffs’ lawyer confirms this information to us.
We have also tried to contact the inspectors concerned, but they refuse to speak to us, which probably speaks volumes about their fear of reprisals.
An inspector dismissed from her senior position
Once again, this attempt to defend himself only makes the situation worse for the inspectors. Indeed, in mid-September during a municipal council meeting, the general inspector was dismissed from her senior functions. In short: she is demoted. She remains an inspector but loses her hierarchical role. The inspector in question is, however, only a few months away from retirement.
In the process, it is replaced. His replacement is none other than the only inspector who did not join his colleagues’ complaint. According to the retired inspector who informed us, the aim of the maneuver is clear: to ensure that the other members of the team keep a low profile.
We contacted the director of education at the City of Liège, who did not respond to our call. The alderman of public education considers that the file is not within his remit and recalls that he is not cited in the complaint for harassment.
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