After months of waiting, some of the health personnel working on the front line in the fight against the corona crisis can soon look forward to an extra 1000 euros. But now it appears that officials at the Ministry of Health already received bonuses in the summer for their efforts around the corona crisis. These could also amount to much more than what the health care personnel receive.
At the start of the crisis, the unions made agreements with the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport (VWS) about a corona bonus for officials of VWS. ‘Personnel who have made exceptional efforts’ in the fight against the crisis qualify for this, the FNV trade union confirms.
Paid out in the summer
According to the union, the bonuses were already distributed in the summer, but an information officer says he does not know how high those bonuses are and to whom they have been paid.
The ministry does not want to say anything about it. Spokesman Martijn Janssen refers to an annual report that will be drawn up later in which account is given for the remuneration policy of the entire state.
He does not want to say how many officials at the ministry had a corona bonus and what amounts they were credited. The ministry also does not want to comment on the question of whether the bonuses for civil servants are higher than those for health personnel.
Maximum one monthly salary
Healthcare minister Hugo de Jonge does write in a letter to Parliament that for the granting of incidental rewards, ie bonuses, there are agreements that apply to the entire state. These rules also apply to the corona bonuses of the VWS staff.
This means that the bonuses can amount to a maximum of one month’s salary, confirms a spokesperson for the Ministry of the Interior. That ministry is again responsible for the government’s remuneration rules.
Painful
SP MP Maarten Hijink recently asked Minister De Jonge questions about the issue. He calls it ‘very painful’ that bonuses have already been distributed in the summer, while the healthcare staff are still waiting for their bonus. He also finds it distressing if employees at the ministry have received higher bonuses than the care employees.
“That is certainly painful”, says CNV spokesperson André van der Vlugt. The case strongly reminds him of the situation in the Zaans Medical Center earlier this year. Managers were given a bonus there because they had to meet extra during the crisis, while the healthcare staff got nothing extra.
