BRUSSELS – Thousands of police officers have been asked to pay back a substantial part of their salaries because of a massive administrative error.

The officers have been sent a letter informing them that they were put into the wrong salary system in 2001 and they must repay a considerable sum as a result.

More reimbursements may be demanded in the coming days.

The error was discovered during checks made by the police force’s secretariat.

While most of the 20,000 employees checked had been inserted correctly, several thousand were found to be on the wrong pay scale.

The pay discrepancy carried on for four years and now runs into thousands of euros.

The over-payment problem arose when several officers opted for the new employment statute that entered into force on 1 April 2001 during a reform of the police force.

Demands for reimbursement of the salaries have proved bitter pills to swallow for those concerned.

Many say that they would never have opted for the new statute if they had known the true financial implications of the changeover.

[Copyright Expatica 2005]

Subject: Belgian news