The government’s intention to allow retail workers to also work 8 hours on Sundays will “harm their working conditions and wages,” says the CSL.
The very critical opinion, which was unanimously adopted by the full assembly of the Chamber of Workers (CSL), is not surprising. Of course, the unionist camp quickly stepped up to criticize the bill aims to change the time of Sunday work. This project will allow up to 8 sales staff to work hours on Sunday and no later than four. The Minister of Labour, Georges Mischo, has just received a new red card.
First, the CSL denies that the text “was developed without respect for social dialogue and without respect for the workers concerned, as it will harm their working conditions and wages”. The argument is more detailed as follows: “Salaries in this sector are already very low and many workers want to spend their Sunday with their family. However, Sunday work compromises the balance between private and professional life.”
It is requested that the provisions relating to Sunday work continue to be negotiated within the framework of collective labor agreements, “with the unions as safeguards and with the aim of preserving the interests of these workers” . “Thus in a framework, Sunday work is not reduced by employers, nor suffered by workers in the sector, but chosen knowingly and compensated with valuable increases,” he added in the opinion
The goal must remain not limited to salary increase (70 %) reserved for employees who work on Sundays. ““There has already been the possibility for a long time to remove the 4-hour limit through collective agreement, and this, only for workers who agreed, and generally against an increase in the Sunday bonus “, develops the CSL, which fears that “Sunday will be a (working) day like any other day”.
The bill would also risk opening “the way to be able to free up opening hours”, without forgetting that it “significantly weakens collective work agreements in a sector that has a low level of coverage (38% according to the latest figures) “.
The other fear is that the government will not stop there: “The next step may be to question the wage increase on Sunday – and other areas will follow. “
A wider discussion is needed
The CSL also raises practical problems. What about the childcare opportunities, knowing that “many of the sales staff are women, some of whom are raising their children alone”. Access to reception facilities on Sundays would be very difficult.
Another criticism concerns the lack of analysis of public transport availability and timetables. The question being asked: are buses, trains and trams “sufficiently used to allow workers in this sector to reach their workplace on Sundays”?
The CSL continues to refer to “competitive disadvantages that small businesses face compared to large commercial establishments”. He also refers to sociological studies which showed that “there is little (or) social utility (…) at work on Sunday”.
According to the CSL, discussion of working time should not be limited to Sunday work: “If the government really intends to modernize working time, in terms of a better reconciliation between the professional and family life of workers, it must be accepted completely. comprehensive and holistic approach.”
2024-11-19 06:18:00
#CSL #refuses #extended #work #Sunday
How does the CSL approach the negotiation of working conditions and wages for retail workers in response to the government’s proposed bill on Sunday work hours?
1. Can you give us an overview of the CSL’s stance on the government’s bill to allow retail workers to work 8 hours on Sundays? How does this decision affect their working conditions and wages?
2. In what ways does this bill undermine collective labor agreements and weaken the role of unions in protecting workers’ rights?
3. What are some of the practical challenges that retail workers may face due to extended Sunday work hours, such as childcare and transportation?
4. How does the CSL propose to balance work-life balance for retail workers and maintain decent working conditions while also ensuring access to essential goods and services on Sundays?
5. Do you think that the proposed bill could potentially open up opportunities for exploitation of workers or lead to wage disparities between those who work on Sundays and those who don’t?
6. What impact might extended Sunday work hours have on small businesses and their ability to compete with larger retail chains?
7. Do you believe that there is a lack of social utility in retail workers working on Sundays, and if so, what is the alternative solution proposed by the CSL?
8. What is the broader context of this debate in terms of working time reform and how does the CSL advocate for a comprehensive approach to covering all aspects of working time arrangements in Luxembourg?
