LGSC: Former Employees Begin Receiving Their Termination Letters

The first termination letters began to be distributed this Thursday, following the Supreme Court's rejection of a request for judicial review made by 575 former employees of the Local Government Service Commission (LGSC). These employees had been laid off for the first time on May 16 of last year, after only a few months of service. They now face another setback with the official confirmation of their contract termination. In total, 575 individuals are now unemployed. Although the decision did not come as a surprise to those affected, it follows the Supreme Court's ruling, which found the initial hiring procedures to be illegal from the outset. The Court concluded that the termination of the contracts did not constitute an illegal dismissal under the law. The former employees argue that they were hired through a process they considered regular and compliant with existing regulations. The plaintiffs, assigned to various municipalities and district councils across the country, had sought legal action to challenge the LGSC's decision. The distribution of the affected employees is as follows: 245 at the Flacq district council, 150 at Pamplemousses, 67 at Rivière-du-Rempart, 160 at Savanne district council, and 190 at Grand-Port. It is important to note that the LGSC had launched a call for applications in 2023 for manual positions within local authorities. As a result of this process, several hundred candidates were recruited in September 2024 and assigned to various posts. For many, this was seen as a stable job opportunity in the local public sector. However, this prospect turned out to be short-lived. This case once again highlights the heavy consequences of administrative decisions made in a sensitive context, particularly during an election campaign period.

Stephane Douce/Ashna Nuckcheddy-Rabot