Minister Kersch admitted that it will be difficult to fairly allocate aid where it is needed most: "I think it is fair to say that we have reached an agreement on the amount of support, and that costs will be shared between government and businesses."
The rate of the salary replacement will be based on the principles of partial unemployment, thus equalling 80% of normal pay, not exceeding 2.5 times the minimum salary, and being no less than the minimum salary. However, the aid will only apply to businesses that were not forced to shut down. Minister Kersch further noted: "A number of details and issues still need to be resolved, but I am optimistic that we will find a solution."
Final discussions are set to be held on 23 February between government officials, the Union of Enterprises (UEL), and the Chamber of Labour.
Employers' representatives expressed their surprise at Minister Kersch's announcement. UEL president Michel Reckinger is not keen on the idea of mutually financing the support, which he believed he had made clear during a heated round of discussions. The UEL maintains that the financial support should be financed via the employment fund.
