The president of the Luxembourg Confederation of Christian Trade Unions (LCGB), Patrick Dury, has expressed hope that the expected appointment of Marc Spautz as the new Minister of Labour will lead to tangible solutions for employees.
Dury’s comments follow the announcement that the current minister, Georges Mischo, will resign. With Marc Spautz – a former long-serving secretary general of the LCGB – expected as his successor, Dury anticipates a “more constructive approach” to labour relations. He praised Spautz’s deep familiarity with both union and employer perspectives, as well as his “very good command” of labour law.
Despite this optimism, Dury cautioned that the unions’ return to the tripartite Standing Committee on Labour and Employment is not automatic. The unions have boycotted these talks with government and employer representatives since the social talks earlier this year. According to Dury, several conditions would need to be met before they re-engage.
Nevertheless, expectations for the incoming minister are high. Dury highlighted several pressing issues awaiting attention, including the transposition of the European directive on minimum wages, along with debates on working time, digitalisation, and artificial intelligence.
“We are counting on this Minister of Labour to develop solutions,” Dury stated, emphasising that progress is “necessary and urgent, because we have lost a lot of time in this country.”
