When the Ethiopian Aviation University (EAU), the training arm of the Ethiopian Airlines Group, put out an ad for trainee positions, more than 32,000 applicants jumped at the chance to kick off a career.
Among them was Biruk Teferra, who passed the carrier’s notoriously rigorous entrance exams but whose slim, wiry frame failed to meet the academy’s physical standards.
He was one of tens of thousands who were rejected, as the EAU’s total student enrolment (across all levels) is less than 5,000.
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Biruk, along with many other young Ethiopians, remains hopeful of securing employment with the Academy in the future. He has resolved to reapply next year.
Biruk’s story reflects the plight of millions of Ethiopian graduates entering a saturated labor market, where the odds of finding meaningful employment are increasingly slim. Every year, countless graduates leave the country’s expanding tertiary education system only to confront limited opportunities.
The private sector, still in its nascent stages of development and with limited capacity to absorb a significant number of new employees, has been hit hard by conflicts and economic shocks, hindering job creation.
Meanwhile, the government, by far the largest employer in Ethiopia with an estimated 2.4 million civil servants nationwide, has been unable to hire new employees in the last two fiscal years due to budgetary constraints.
To make matters worse, a couple of months ago, lawmakers passed a controversial bill that has raised further concerns about job security for civil servants amid soaring unemployment and a looming socio-economic crisis.
The Worst is Yet to Come
On November 19, Parliament ratified the Federal Civil Servants Proclamation, introducing structural changes and a revised salary scale while reimagining promotion and reward systems.
The bill, which passed with three votes against and four abstentions, is emblematic of a broader governmental push to ensure linguistic, ethnic, and gender representation within the workforce—an effort described as making the civil service “look like Ethiopia.”
However, this approach has sparked heated debate.
“The preamble itself is ambiguous,” says Abebaw Abebe, a lawyer and a vocal critic of the proclamation.
The definition of ‘civil servant’ has long been consistent worldwide, rooted in the idea of individuals working in government offices to deliver public services. Abebaw argues this universal understanding remains true whether in the United States, Europe, or Kenya.
However, Ethiopia’s newly amended civil service law, which emphasizes that the civil service must reflect the “face of the new Ethiopia,” has raised eyebrows.
“Does it imply that the civil service should mirror the current administration? The government’s motives remain unclear,” said Abebaw.
The government has framed the new law as a step toward a merit-based recruitment and selection process, aiming to improve working conditions, relationships between civil servants and government appointees, salary scales, and occupational health standards. It also addresses disciplinary measures and grievance procedures, while raising weekly working hours from 39 to 48.
Yet, the bill has drawn significant criticism.
Opposition MPs argued that it consolidates authority over recruitment, evaluation, and capacity building within a single body, potentially undermining the autonomy of individual government organizations.
The law’s critics have also raised alarms about its implications for the independence of democratic institutions. Opposition members questioned how bodies like the National Electoral Board and the Human Rights Commission could maintain autonomy in hiring and managing staff without interference from political entities.
The Ethiopian Management Institute (EMI) has been tasked with implementing key aspects of the country’s freshly amended civil service law.
Terefe Zeleke (PhD), deputy general manager at the Institute, says EMI is prepared to recruit, evaluate, and train civil servants based on standardized examinations prepared by the Civil Service Commission.
“We assess both technical and ethical skills to determine whether candidates fit the open positions,” he explained.
The law includes provisions for exceptions, allowing specific organizations to adapt recruitment and evaluation processes to meet their operational needs.
Voices of Opposition
While MPs like Negeri Lencho, chair of the parliamentary Human Resource, Employment, and Technology Committee, have championed the law as a step forward for Ethiopia’s civil service, opposition voices remain unconvinced.
Desalegn Chane (PhD), an MP representing the National Movement of Amhara (NAMA), criticized the rise in weekly working hours and the emphasis on quotas over merit.
“The civil service should focus on merit-based recruitment rather than quotas,” he argued, warning that the law could lead to unchecked infringements on employee rights.
Similarly, Aweke Amzaye (PhD) of EZEMA (Ethiopian Citizens for Social Justice) slammed the law for prioritizing ethnic quotas at the expense of building a modern, merit-based civil service.
‘Justice Denied’
Despite its sweeping approval in Ethiopia’s 547-seat parliament, dominated by the ruling Prosperity Party, the law has sparked fierce debate over its constitutionality.
Legal expert Lakew Abebe highlighted a glaring contradiction between the new law and the country’s 1995 Federal Constitution, particularly Article 39, which guarantees the right to justice.
He pointed to a provision in the law that makes management decisions on employee-related issues unappealable—a provision critics have described as “justice denied,” calling it a direct violation of constitutional principles.
“Under the Constitution, everyone has the right to bring a justiciable matter to court or another judicial body,” Lakew explained. “This law denies civil servants that fundamental right.”
Abebaw echoed these concerns, arguing that laws must align with the Constitution, which serves as the supreme legal authority.
“The new civil service law fails to make this crucial reference, undermining the rights of employees to seek justice in cases of disciplinary action or wrongful judgment,” he said.
Despite the sweeping majority vote, the law remains a lightning rod for criticism. Opposition MPs and legal experts contend that it risks eroding trust in the civil service by prioritizing quotas over merit and curtailing employees’ rights.
Government’s Defence
In response to these criticisms, Negeri Lencho dismissed the opposition’s concerns as unfounded. He emphasized that the law aligns with Ethiopia’s growth ambitions and will strengthen the civil service sector.
Proponents of the law argue that it modernizes human resource management by introducing new standards for recruitment, evaluation, salary increments, and disciplinary actions.
Supporters also claim that the law provides clarity on issues that were ambiguous in previous legislation, particularly concerning disciplinary procedures and employee rights.
However, critics argue that the law’s provisions regarding disciplinary issues and unappealable management decisions are deeply flawed.
The government’s vision of a more inclusive and representative civil service must contend with concerns over meritocracy, employee rights, and constitutional integrity. Whether this legislation can deliver on its promises—or deepen existing inequalities—will shape the future of governance in Ethiopia.
Long-standing and historically significant institutions appear to be increasingly targeted for restructuring. Recently, the Anbessa City Bus Services Enterprise, a historic player in the country’s urban transportation sector, laid off over 400 employees as part of a purported ‘reform process’.
Similarly, the recent consolidation of four historic theatre houses (Hager Fikir Theatre, Ras Theatre, Addis Ababa Theatrical & Culture Center, and the Children and Youth Theatre) under a single management, a move touted as a ‘reform’ aimed at creating a more ‘Ethiopian’ identity, has raised concerns about potential staff layoffs.
The century-old Ethio Post (formerly known as the Ethiopian Postal Service) also underwent a ‘restructuring process’ a year ago, resulting in staff layoffs. In October 2023, the Ethio Post administration announced the termination of several employees, many of whom had dedicated years of service to the organization.
The decision impacted over 480 staff members, including a mother-of-two who claims to have received a ’99’ in her performance evaluation and has no disciplinary record. The enterprise attributed the layoff to educational requirements.
The sudden layoffs have had a profound impact on the affected families. The ex-employees The Reporter Magazine spoke to were primary breadwinners, and the loss of their jobs has placed significant financial strain on their households. The high cost of living in Addis Ababa has made it even harder for these families to make ends meet.
Negeri’s statement that the ‘civil service is suffocated with more people than it needs’ was widely interpreted as a signal of the government’s intention to lay off civil servants. Although the government has dismissed this interpretation, only time will tell whether these measures will enhance the efficiency of the civil service or simply lead to the displacement of valuable employees, such as the mother-of-two who may lose her job despite her exemplary performance.
Yared Nigussie contributed to this article
