Companies will need two years to regain pre-crisis levels of productivity, according to the head of the UEL, Jean-Paul Olinger.
While the union welcomed the announced government supports, they needed to be paid out quickly – before the end of the year.
The UEL also hoped for increased support for freelancers and was in the midst of negotiations on that particular topic. The economy's relaunch was mainly based on partial unemployment, a tool which helped employees to retain their purchasing power. In regard to the proposed raise of the minimum wage, the UEL was, however, heavily opposed, according to Olinger. This measure would unnecessarily burden companies during these difficult times, and the government was also mistaken if it believed that this would solve the housing crisis. The high real estate prices, Olinger suggested, were the result of a bad housing policy.
When asked about the country's social dialogue, Olinger replied that the sectoral tripartite was working well. In the short term, a national tripartite was not necessary.
Olinger did admit that the meetings sometimes had a tendency to get "heated". This was because most of the demands that were discussed came from the trade unions and the Ministry of Labour, and often went "too far" in the eyes of the UEL. Olinger stated that the trade unions and the Ministry trade to force companies into a "tight corset" through labour laws. Instead, he explained, it was important for the Luxembourg economy and its competitiveness to remain flexible in this context.
