Luxembourg's trade unions criticised the government's project
Tem Rysh, Unsplash
On 6 February 2025, more than 350 representatives of the OGBL and LCGB trade unions, as well as workers in the retail sector, gathered at the Casino syndical de Bonnevoie. They opposed a government project to significantly extend shop opening hours.
Economy Minister Lex Delles (Lex Delles) has proposed to make it compulsory for shops to be open from 5:00 to 22:00 on weekdays and from 5:00 to 19:00 on weekends and holidays. In addition, shops would be able to operate around the clock twice a year instead of once. Of the 11 official holidays, only three will remain days off - 1 January, 1 May and 25 December.
David Angel, spokesperson for OGBL, called the bill an attack on workers' privacy and rights. He recalled that back in 2018, a LISER study showed that most trade workers do not want to work on Sundays and late nights as it has a negative impact on their health and social life.
The unions believe that the project will destroy the work-life balance of 50,000 trade employees, depriving them of the opportunity to spend time with their families and engage in voluntary or cultural activities. They emphasise that the reforms will only benefit large retail chains, while small businesses and local shops will suffer.
According to Angel, the government is misleading the public by calling it "modernisation". He sarcastically remarked, "Who would even shop between 10pm and 5am?" and added: "There's nothing modern about this project - just the destruction of the social safety net and the increased dictates of big corporations."
The unions have vowed to continue their struggle and are already planning new protests. They are calling on the government to abandon trade liberalisation in order to maintain a balance between business and social justice.
