Asked about the letter, Minister for Labour Marc Spautz said he would prefer to bring all three parties together again, namely the trade unions, employers, and the government. The letter, sent on Monday, was addressed to the PM , with copies also sent to him and Deputy PM Xavier Bettel. Spautz did not respond directly, as the letter was formally addressed to Frieden. Minister Spautz is currently confirming when Prime Minister Frieden had met with the unions and employers.
In their letter, the unions criticise the lack of progress on several employment-related matters. At national level, they call for stronger tools to keep people in work, an overhaul of legislation on redeployment and a discussion on the implementation of artificial intelligence in companies.
Spautz stressed that he should first be given the opportunity to hold individual meetings. Additional talks have already been scheduled with unions and employers. All issues raised in the letter will be discussed within the framework of the coalition agreement.
He argued that constructive progress is more difficult, as all discussions are currently conducted bilaterally. Equally, the unions had left the Standing Committee on Labour and Employment (CPTE) last year. “For my part, I am ready to discuss directly with all three parties. But, as I understand it, the unions are not yet prepared to work in a tripartite format at this stage”, the minister said, adding that such an approach would allow faster progress on the various issues.
The Labour Minister also addressed the individual points raised. The European directive on platform workers has not yet been transposed by any country, but discussions with unions and employers are underway. On Wednesday, a draft document was sent to the social partners, with a meeting scheduled after the Carnival holidays to discuss it. Meetings have already taken place on the minimum social wage and the directive on collective agreements. The necessary figures are currently being compiled, and the directive must be transposed by the end of the year. With regard to redeployment, Spautz said he will meet with the Ministry of Health in March before holding talks with the social partners.
“We also have points in the coalition agreement concerning job retention. But I must admit that I have not yet started working on them”, the Minister for Labour said. He added that analyses are currently being carried out by the ministry on the remaining issues.
