“You really have to ask yourself this question when you look at the number of projects we have all over the country, whether they be motorway projects or construction projects. Should there be a collective holiday or can there be exemptions? Exemptions are granted by the ITM, to whom requests are addressed. But the question of whether this is still appropriate will have to be discussed with the social partners, to try to find a solution other than three weeks of complete closure, as at present.”
All it took was a statement by the minister for labour, (CSV), in response to a question put to the RTL radio station last week, in the middle of the summer torpor, to ignite the flames.
, chairman of the Fédération des entreprises de construction et de génie civil (Federation of construction and civil engineering companies) and head of the construction company of the same name, was shocked. Like all professionals in the sector, Kuhn enjoyed a collective holiday from 26 July to 18 August. The same will apply this winter, between 21 December and 8 January. This is a practice that has been in vogue in Luxembourg since the late 1960s. And it’s working, says Kuhn.
Why do you defend collective leave?
Roland Kuhn: There are several reasons. First, I think it’s very important for our employees to have this kind of leave. A lot of our employees come from Portugal, so it’s an opportunity for them to make the trip. Three continuous weeks is not a luxury. This collectively-agreed holiday is all the more valuable because it includes 15 August, which is also a very important day for our Portuguese employees because it’s a moment for many family celebrations, such as weddings and christenings.
And the second reason, in your opinion?
The weather. I’m not telling you anything new, temperatures are often very hot in August. We’re seeing proof of that right now. Working during these very hot periods would be a mistake for the health of our employees. The same applies to the winter period, with its cold, frost and bad weather. Under these conditions, the quality of the construction is not good anyway.
But back to the heat... With concrete and cement, you’re working with a hydraulic material. Water evaporation is high. You have to water constantly, and you don’t even get the same quality of work. You’re going to tell me that there are countries where these hot conditions are permanent, of course. But we’re in Luxembourg, and the system works marvellously well. Collective leave is very important.
At some point, we also have to show some respect for small businesses.
You haven’t yet mentioned the employers’ point of view...
And this is a key aspect, because collective leave is also essential for company management. We close together, we reopen together, with a ‘gentleman’s agreement’ that for three weeks no public bids go out. The companies respect this stop, the state respects it, the municipalities respect it. And then... at some point, we also have to show some respect for small businesses. We have many, many small businesses where the boss does everything. He responds to tenders, he supervises the site, he does the accounts... Collective leave allows him and his employees to take their children away during the school holidays. Just as it does in winter, by the way.
When I was a child, I used to go on holiday to the Belgian coast. Alone with my mother. My father was never there, he only joined us for the weekend. If collective leave didn’t exist, what would happen? We would split the three weeks’ leave over three months, from mid-June to mid-September. There would be staffing problems, because there would always be someone missing. In small businesses, this would be detrimental. In any case, construction sites would come to a standstill.
I’m going to play devil’s advocate here, but this is the situation that all companies face in managing their holidays, whatever their field of activity...
Working in construction is above all a team effort. A team leader, a crane operator, masons... If the crane operator is absent, do you think that a small company will have a replacement crane operator? It’s much better for everyone if the whole team goes on holiday at the same time.
Why call into question something that is working well?
What about derogations?
An ad hoc committee made up of trade unions, employers and the Labour and Mines Inspectorate (ITM) defines who can and who cannot work during collective leave. Plants like ArcelorMittal that carry out maintenance work during this period are of course entitled to an exemption. The same applies to school maintenance and major infrastructure projects. The tram, the Schuman roundabout, the demolition of the Hamilius... There have always been derogations, and they’ve never caused any problems.
I ask myself: why call into question something that is working well, and with which everyone is satisfied? It’s more profitable to stop at the same time and come back competitive, rather than not stop and operate for three months on three legs. We are not the only country to think along these lines. Switzerland and Belgium are in the same situation.
But you understand that the general public may find it hard to understand, at a time when the construction industry is going through an unprecedented crisis and housing is a matter of urgency?
You’re forgetting one thing: employees are entitled to their holidays, and whether they take them together or separately, it all comes down to the same thing. When people aren’t there to work, you can’t build. I repeat: without collective leave, there will always be someone important in the team who won’t be there. And the work will suffer. A large company might still be able to manage it. But what about small businesses?
Are you worried about the minister’s statements?
I’m not at all worried. If the minister asks us to come and talk, we’ll go and talk. We’ll weigh up the pros and cons. We will discuss, yes, and we will explain and persuade. But as far as I’m concerned, there’s nothing to discuss.
This article was originally published in .