Response of the Board to the Letter from Committee OM Under Pressure

News report | 04-12-2025 | 14:30

In its response, the Board states that it is completely clear that this widely supported action stems from genuine concern about the situation in which the OM finds itself. A concern that goes much deeper than mere frustration. The Board therefore feels deeply addressed by this letter. It has also extensively discussed the expressed concerns with the chief public prosecutors and agreed to jointly move forward on this matter.

 The Board has meanwhile started visiting all OM departments to address the concerns and questions of employees. This is partly in response to the conversation with a delegation of the Committee, in which it was indicated that at this stage there is mainly a need for reflection and recognition of the problems.

Confronting and constructive

For the Board, the letter and the conversation with the Committee were as confronting as they were constructive. Confronting, not because the Board is unaware of the ICT issues and their effects, but because it expresses that a large part of the OM employees feel unseen, unheard, and not taken seriously. And they experience that their great dedication and involvement are taken for granted. This is a painful message that deeply affects the Board.

Constructive, because the Board greatly appreciates the raising of the issue. It shows great involvement with colleagues, work, the OM, and society. This issue leaves no one within the Public Prosecution Service untouched.

It is clear that past administrative choices have insufficiently worked to prevent the current ICT problems. The Board deeply regrets that it has not succeeded over the years in making the ICT work as it should. As a result, OM employees have often not been able to work properly and the work has too often become a source of frustration. The Board feels responsible for this.

The internal financial tasking is an additional burden on top of all this, fueling concerns about workload and job satisfaction. As understandable as these concerns are, it is a given for the OM that it faces the challenge of keeping its financial management in order. The Board wants to do this with attention to the concerns raised by the Committee. Naturally, the Board has been looking for other ways of financing alongside the tasking for some time and with high priority. Claims have been submitted to the department, the OM is in talks with the cabinet about finances, and the issue has also been raised in the formation process.

Trust

In its response to the Committee, the Board emphasizes that it will do its utmost to repair the dent in trust that has arisen in the Board and the organization. The Board sees this response as the start of a process to work on restoring trust, in word and deed. A meeting with a delegation of the Committee will be scheduled for further follow-up.