© Domingos Oliveira / RTL
The government, trade unions, and employers' representatives reconvened Monday afternoon at theMinistry of State for a second round of discussions aimed at resolving ongoing disputes.
On Monday afternoon, representatives of all three parties gathered again, with Prime Minister Luc Frieden expressing his intention to "bring both sides together." Entering the talks, Frieden emphasised that the government sees its role as continuously fostering dialogue among the social partners. While he refrained from making predictions about specific outcomes – unlike during last week's opening round – he remained confident that all sides were looking for progress.
Last Wednesday, the CSV-DP government declared it was no longer interested in pursuing reforms to collective agreements – a decision that unions OGBL and LCGB consider a red line. Michel Reckinger, president of the Luxembourg Employers' Association (UEL), maintained his position that those agreements form part of a broader "package," which also includes issues such as Sunday work, opening hours, minimum wage, and pensions.
Speaking at the start of Monday's meeting, Luc Frieden reiterated that collective bargaining reforms were off the table, but said he expected constructive discussions on the remaining issues. The unions, for their part, signalled their willingness to find compromises.
Meanwhile, Deputy Prime Minister Xavier Bettel, who was attending a meeting of EU trade ministers in Brussels earlier Monday morning, returned to Luxembourg specifically to join the social round table before heading back to the Belgian capital later that evening.
The article will continue to be updated as new information becomes available.
