A special bonus for tax office staff who agree to resign is proving extremely popular and so far 4,200 people have signed up for it, according to the AD.

The ruling was introduced at the beginning of February in an effort to help the tax office cut its workforce by 5,000. The payout, a maximum €75,000, is based on length of service and current salary.

Unions say the success of the offer has raised concerns that too many well-qualified staff want to leave and that the jobs are being cut too quickly. The aim had been to phase in the redundancies between now and 2023.

A spokesman for the finance ministry has confirmed the ‘great enthusiasm’ but says the talks with individual workers are currently exploratory. ‘Not everyone [who has expressed an interest] will actually use the ruling,’ a spokesman said.