Short-time work will be extended past 31 December due to the ongoing pandemic. "It remains to be seen until when exactly", minister Kersch acknowledged. The decision will be taken in consultation with social partners, who will together look for viable solutions.
The sectors currently most affected include event management, hospitality, and tourism. They are thus set to receive facilitated access to partial unemployment. Kersch underlined that governmental subsidies will only be awarded to businesses that maintain and care for their employees.
When asked about the employment fund, the minister explained that the government wanted to increase its contributions. Kersch also highlighted the fact that 3/4 of businesses had already repaid their partial unemployment costs.
The artisanal federation recently demanded that governmental employees, who were forced out of work due to the crisis, should only receive 80% of their salaries, as is the case for employees in the private sector. Kersch strongly refused that proposition, stating that a crisis would not be the time to pit people against each other.
