The Luxembourg bankers’ association (ABBL) is “astonished” at how some unions have spoken publicly on the issue of the June premium and calls for a return to “constructive” dialogue, it announced in a press statement on Friday.

According to the ABBL, negotiations on the collective bargaining agreement have been moving apace.  “We have never been closer to an agreement,” it states, adding that, it has never called the June premium into question.

The communiqué also states that it was never the association’s intention to, “take employees hostage in the negotiations,” and it means to, “continue the constructive dialogue with the social partners in a calm atmosphere, for the good of the employees.”