The agreements between Luxembourg, Germany, Belgium, and France on telework have recently been extended until 31 December 2020.
News which was well received by cross-border workers, who are now able to benefit from unlimited teleworking until the end of the year. However, this extension does raise questions about what will happen after the end of the health crisis.
In fact, the possibility of a return to the ceilings set by the last tax agreements between Luxembourg and its neighbouring countries is looming on the horizon.
In this context, the Luxembourgish association of bank and insurance employees (Aleba) reaffirmed its support for the introduction of one teleworking day per week for all cross-border workers on Friday. The association stated that it supported the idea of one teleworking day per week for several years for “the well-being at work and the ecological and mobility impact”.
However, President of Aleba Roberto Mendolia also stressed that the association wanted to show solidarity with the sectors and workers in the Horesca or retail trade, with Mendolia acknowledging that “high-dose” telework had negative consequences for these sectors.
According to Mendolia, solutions must be found to avoid social dramas and job losses caused by the sharp reduction in consumption linked to teleworking. A point of view which is probably shared by workers and entrepreneurs in the sector.
