The winemakers’ bureaucratic nightmare continues

In the run-up to the start of the grape harvest, the Luxembourg Chamber of Deputies did not manage to pass a bill aimed at streamlining the administrative procedures for seasonal employment in the agricultural sector. As a result, local producers will have to adhere to the current, more complex legislation when recruiting workers.

In response to a parliamentary question on the matter, the Minister for Labour, Marc Spautz, noted that the government understood the disappointment and concern of farmers who had been counting on the new rules coming into force as early as this season. However, the government’s latest conclusions regarding the legislative process were only published in July. According to the Minister, from a legal and procedural point of view, it is practically impossible to introduce special transitional provisions at this stage. Consequently, the existing legal provisions will apply during the forthcoming harvest campaign.

For their part, industry representatives have long pointed out the impracticality of the current regulations. Antoine Clasen, Chief Executive of the wine-producing company Bernard-Massard (Antoine Clasen), CEO of the Bernard-Massard wine-producing company, has previously emphasised that the new law would enable farmers to avoid an “administrative nightmare”, as the grape harvest is heavily dependent on weather conditions and requires maximum flexibility when it comes to recruitment. 

The main obstacle posed by the current regulations is the strict medical screening procedure. As Paul Marceul, Director of the Chamber of Commerce, explained, seasonal workers are required to undergo preliminary medical examinations whilst in Luxembourg. However, the long waiting times for appointments with specialists are completely incompatible with the short-term and urgent nature of seasonal agricultural work.