Unions OGBL, CGFP, and LCGB are still aligned, stressed Nora Back while addressing the press at Senningen Castle on Monday evening. The main focus during the second day of negotiations was the government’s proposed limitation on energy prices, as well as the number of expected index cuts. Although the meeting lasted for more than ten hours, no substantial progress was reported afterwards.
Read also: Summary of tripartite meeting, day one - Government proposes to limit energy pricesShortly after 10pm, Prime Minister Bettel spoke to the press and noted the following: “I will not provide any details. The fact of the matter is that I will try to pass an entire package tomorrow, which of course includes the index. However, the latter will be calculated based on the impact of an energy price limitation. These are all the things that still need to be estimated and refined.”
It seems as though unions and employers’ representatives are still a long way from agreeing on the wage increase. Nevertheless, the PM hopes that an agreement in principle will already be reached on Tuesday.
The politician from the Democratic Party stated: “People are worried. It would be irresponsible to not reach an agreement. That would mean that the government has to take responsibility, but I think it would be a strong sign of social cohesion and team spirit to find an agreement.”
Although social partners were unwilling to comment on the progress of negotiations, OGBL president Nora Back still noted in passing that there were many ups and downs throughout the day.
Despite the fact that none of the parties were willing to discuss details, it appears that negotiations are still progressing faster than anticipated. An invitation to members of the press, initially scheduled for 5pm on Tuesday, has been advanced to 10.30am. A public press briefing is expected later in the afternoon.
After the tripartite meeting has ended, social partners are expected to consult their respective bases. An actual agreement is likely to be signed next Thursday at the earliest.
