When asked by RTL, the Ministry of Health explained that the decision to cancel the contracts came from the LTPS secondary school. The pupils nevertheless have to conclude their practical training in order to complete the school year. This is impossible if the pupils are still bound by the CDD contracts, the school argued.
Budding nurses and LTPS pupils in related medical fields joined the ranks of Luxembourg's medical reserve corps to look after the increased amount of patients when the pandemic broke out. They were officially employed by the state and were paid for their efforts. The CDD contracts were meant to expire on 28 May.
An email now informed the young medical staff that their contract will already expire on 11 May. They will have to continue working in unpaid internships. Woxx magazine quoted one nurse who harshly criticised this decision. According to the nurse, she often works for 8 hours a day in a Tyvek protective suit without being able to eat or go to the bathroom. She explained that she will now have to do the same exhausting job without getting paid - at a time when hospitals are already feeling the sting of staff shortages.
The Ministry of Health has reportedly not yet commented on this issue.
