Organised by the Independent Luxembourg Trade Union Confederation (OGBL), the protest picket in front of the EIB highlighted the determination of catering industry employees to gain genuine recognition for their daily efforts. Despite enduring a long day’s work, which, for many, started in the early hours - waitstaff, kitchen assistants, and head waiters from various sectors, including companies, European institutions, schools, crèches, and hospitals, rallied to demand a 13th month’s pay, citing the need to “live decently” and end what they perceive as “modern slavery.”
The OGBL reports that over 80% of the sector’s workforce, totalling nearly 4,500 people, earns little more than the unskilled minimum social wage and the skilled minimum social wage, ranging from €2,150 to €2,700 net per month, “even after 20 years of experience,” as highlighted by Chrystelle Brassinne, deputy secretary-general of the OGBL’s Shops, Workshops, and HORESCA section.
The most recent meeting between trade unions and the catering section of the Federation of Luxembourg Industrialists (FEDIL) occurred on 9 November. Instead of acceding to the long-standing demand for a 13th month’s pay, the employer representatives proposed “an increase of €12.50 gross per month starting in 2025.” This proposal was met with disdain, with Semia Mhadhbi, chairwoman of the Sodexo delegation, denouncing it as “shameful, insulting, and degrading,” provoking a chorus of disapproval directed at the employers.
Brassinne encapsulates the sentiment of protesting catering workers, stating, “We refuse to continue to be left behind by the society we serve, which is doing us a disservice.” She directly accuses sector employers, including Sodexo, Eurest, Aramark, and CR Services, of “refusing to pay up” for their employees while “handing out ever-increasing profits to their shareholders.”
Brassinne contends that these employers are indifferent to their employees’ pursuit of a better quality of life. She extends this criticism to the government and European entities, alleging that they, too, neglect employees by issuing invitations to tender and selecting contractors who resist entering into collective labour agreements — a second major demand of the protesters.
Beyond their call for a 13th month’s pay, the employees are seeking additional improvements, including a 70% pay increase for Sunday work, a 100% pay increase for work on public holidays, a 25% pay increase for night shifts between 10pm and 6am, an additional day of seniority leave after 10 years of service for companies that do not currently provide seniority leave, automatic qualified status after a decade of service with the company, and a guaranteed right to disconnect.
With another picket already scheduled for December, the employees have signalled their resolve - unless employer representatives opt to release a satisfactory increase just before Christmas.
