The president of the employers’ association for commerce says the changes to Sunday work bring no relief for medium-sized businesses.

“It’s not the outcome we had hoped for, but we now have a new framework to work with going forward,” said Carole Müller, president of the Luxembourg Confederation, reacting to the government’s proposed changes on Sunday work and shop opening hours after Wednesday’s talks with social partners.

Under the proposal, the maximum number of Sunday working hours would rise from four to eight, provided this is negotiated through a collective agreement or inter-professional accord. Companies with 30 or fewer employees, however, would be exempt from these conditions.

“What concerns us is the increase from four to eight hours. The coalition agreement had foreseen this would apply to all companies, regardless of size. Now a 30-employee threshold has been introduced. That certainly benefits small businesses, but for medium-sized firms it’s not really a simplification,” Müller said.

On a more positive note, she welcomed the legal certainty the reform brings to the retail sector, with a clear framework replacing the need to request individual exemptions.