The document, which Lusa has seen and which may yet be amended during meetings with public sector unions, outlines some of the measures in this field that are to form part of the 2018 state budget, but does not specify the date by which the unfreezing is to be complete.

According to the proposals, from 2018 the government is to unfreeze automatic career progression and related salary increases that have in the past been usual in the civil service.

As for promotions, appointments or transfers to higher categories or posts, these "depend on a prior positive ruling by members of the government responsible for the area". The exceptions are civil servants working for local councils and regional governments, for whom promotions must be approved by the relevant mayor or regional premier.

To move up in their career, civil servants must have acquired 10 points in their performance assessments in the previous seven years. Where someone has not been assessed in a given year, they are given one point for that year.

Where someone has already moved up in the last seven years, the point count returns to zero.

Where someone has accumulated more than 10 points between 2011 and 2017 – the period during which career progression has been frozen – the excess points are to be added to the count for the next period.

In response to the proposals, the STE union said that they were a “sign of a return to normality”, while the FESAP federation said that further detail and clarifications would be required.