National Lottery CEO Jannie Haek has been accused of "verbal abuse" and "excessive alcohol consumption" by several trade unions, who are demanding a drastic improvement in behaviour toward staff.
Finance Minister Vincent Van Peteghem (CD&V) confirmed the process was instigated by trade unions CSC, CGSP and CGSLB, who co-signed a letter addressed to the National Lottery's Board of Directors in late March.
"Over the years, we have observed an increasing number of incidents involving verbal violence on [Haek’s] part," the letter, which was seen by l’Echo, states. "This behaviour, characterised by a toxic attitude based on fear and intimidation, is not in keeping with the values and ethics of our company."
The unions go on to point out that "a number of appalling incidents have been recorded" and reject any justification of such misconduct based on high stress levels or substance abuse issues.
'Either he changes his ways or his mandate ends'
Haek took the helm of the National Lottery in 2013. Since then, the 58-year-old has received two fines from the Labour Inspectorate for smoking in his office. In light of the most recent complaint, National Lottery President Géraldine Demaret has opened a mediation procedure led by an external actor.
"The procedure is still ongoing and confidential, to give it every chance of success," said Demaret. Van Peteghem’s cabinet will decide on steps to take based on the results of these talks.
Trade unions denounce a culture of fear cultivated by Haek’s aggression. He is reportedly "intolerant" of any opinion that contradicts his and often openly insults staff. The letter’s signatories say that there is only one solution to these issues: "Either he changes his ways or his mandate ends".
Since the allegations were publicised, Haek's spokesperson has stated that his boss is "aware that he has hurt people's feelings" and "will ensure that this does not happen again", to "guarantee a respectful environment in which all employees feel valued at all times".
