Before the meetings, trade union presidents Nora Back and Patrick Dury had expressed their openness to compromise. They did, however, not appear alongside Prime Minister Luc Frieden at Wednesday's press conference. Instead, they remained in an adjacent room while Frieden spoke.
OGBL and LCGB have been calling for an additional €200 per month on top of the 3.8% minimum wage rise announced in March; the latter amounts to around €105 and takes effect on 1 January 2027. This would be supplemented by the next index-linked pay rise, which will apply to all workers.
According to sources close to RTL, the OGBL and LCGB rejected the government's proposal to increase the previously announced minimum wage rise to €200 per month through a tax credit. This is about €100 less than the unions demanded.
Employer representatives warned that a structural increase would be difficult for companies across all sectors to bear. Indeed, the Prime Minister said a structural increase beyond the government's announcement in March could not be imposed on businesses.
Frieden then proceeded to tell reporters that ministers would present new or alternative solutions on Thursday, adding that the government has every intention of supporting both businesses and low-income workers.
Frieden brought the issue to Senningen under pressure from both unions. According to Frieden, the primary objective of the tripartite talks was to find ways to curb inflation linked to rising energy prices.
Achieving an agreement on the minimum wage, he acknowledged, will not be easy.
