The annual collective leave period in the construction sector kicked off this Friday. This means that most construction sites will only resume on 23 August. 119 construction sites received a formal authorisation from the competent ministry to proceed during the collective leave period. These construction sites are considered to be "urgent" and for instance include the tram works in the Gare neighbourhood.
Paul Faber told RTL that there had been several infection clusters in the construction sector within the last two weeks. It nevertheless looks like the individuals in question contracted the virus in private settings, Faber said. The numbers only went up after restrictions were eased for private gatherings.
Many Portuguese workers decided to stay in Luxembourg rather than traveling to Portugal during the collective leave period, Faber explained. Companies will receive free virus testing vouchers to be used when employees start working again after the collective leave. Testing remains voluntary.
The construction sector had to shut down for two months during the lockdown. When it reopened, it lost 8% of its productivity, Faber said. The lockdown reportedly cost the sector around €63 million. Faber remains in favour of the collective leave period.
