Union on Collision Course with Government Over Changes to Private Sector Leave

The LCGB trade union has issued a statement in which it maintains its criticism that the planned reform of leave for extraordinary reasons will create, in its current form, unequal treatment between the private and public sectors, and that most of the measures provided for in the draft law 7060 have never been part of an agreement between the Government and the social partners (trade unions).

While the reform of leave for extraordinary reasons is, according to the Government, "a better reconciliation between family and professional life", the LCGB has noted what it describes as a steady deterioration, the only exception of which is the increase in days of leave for birth or adoption for the father (2 to 5 days). This last point is the only point of the reform which was welcomed from the beginning by the social partners.

In this context, and following the recent discussions of a proposal for a European Directive on paternity leave, the LCGB has noted that the Government has in the meantime arranged (it alleges behind the scenes) with employers' representatives for an increase in these days off from 2 to 10 days. The LCGB has recalled that initial discussion took place in the Standing Committee on Labour and Employment and argues that these discussions should therefore have taken place within the framework of this tripartite institution.

Apart from this very special application of social dialogue by the government, the LCGB has "categorically" opposed the public statements of the Minister of Labour concerning the existence of an agreement between the social partners aimed at increasing paternity leave in exchange for a reduction of the days of extraordinary holidays for marriage / PACS respectively, of a limitation of the right to the holidays to move at intervals of three years.

The LCGB has stated that it has expressed its opposition to these reductions / restrictions of leave for the private sector on several occasions with the Prime Minister, the Minister of Labour and the Minister of the Family.

The LCGB has therefore called on MPs to urgently rectify this issue by amending the bill in order to avoid any unequal treatment of private sector employees.