A strongly worded open letter from the Federation of Craftspeople urged Minister of the Economy Franz Fayot to either provide evidence or retract his statements regarding the recent investigation into the residential property sector conducted by the Competition Authority.

In response to the investigation's findings, the Minister raised concerns about potential collusion between companies, criticised developers' substantial profit margins, and called for improved regulation within the sector.

Following these remarks, the Federation of Craftspeople's open letter contends that the Minister's response blurs the line between objective statements and "baseless speculations and insinuations."

The Federation takes issue with the "conflation of property developers and construction companies," leading to what they describe as "an assault on the craft industry."

In addition, the Federation is "shocked" by the allegation that construction companies are conspiring to keep employee wages low. They highlight the industry's efforts to combat labour shortages and stress that working conditions are determined through collective bargaining between employers' associations and trade unions. The Federation of Craftspeople wondered "how anyone could actually think that companies and trade unions were conspiring together."

Regarding the claim that private owners are holding back their land, the Federation points to the significant number of homes built annually by the private sector (3,800) compared to the public sector's contribution of only 300 homes per year. They question who is actually responsible for land withholding and reiterate concerns about the "labyrinth of procedures" that turns any property project into a "veritable obstacle course."

The Federation accuses the government of diverting attention from its own housing responsibilities and shortcomings, and has furthermore "done everything in its power to make property investments less appealing, while benefiting from rising property prices through increased revenue."

But what the Federation considers most serious is the accusation of collusion. They demand that if such cases exist, they should be publicly disclosed, and those responsible face prosecution. If no evidence can be presented, the Federation calls on the Minister to contextualise or retract his statements entirely.

The Chamber of Skilled Trades and Crafts also released a statement pertaining to the same subject on Tuesday.