The Luxembourg Inspectorate of Labour and Mines (ITM) has published the figures regarding inspections and sanctions occured during 2023. The data showed a skyrocket increase of both during the year.
Sanctions issued by the competent authority amount to 3,268. An increase of almost 1,000 compared to 2022, as reported during the ITM press conference on Monday 29/04/2024.
It is not only the numbers of sanctions that are astonishing, but also the total amount, which totals an impressive €14.3 million.
Transgressions related to posted workers to Luxembourg
Out of the total, a good €8.9 million can be traced back to transgressions relating to posted workers to Luxembourg.
Although foreign companies are in fact fully entitled to post their workers in Luxembourg for temporary provisions of services, they are still obliged to comply with the foreign legislation. The requirements include the notification to the competent authorities, known as détachement, and checking whether the employee can actually enter and stay in the country.
ITM has made it clear that it is essential that all companies comply with local legislation, in terms of working, salary conditions and social security. This is essential to avoid unfair competition from companies that exploit an underpaid workforce with little knowledge of their rights.
For this reason, both the number of inspectors and inspections have increased significantly compared to 2022. In fact, the number of inspectors has increased from 86 to 99. On the other hand, the number of inspections has increased from just over 10,000 to 17,300.
The goal of the authority, however, is not to sanction companies. Instead, its aim is to raise general awareness and create a culture of prevention in Luxembourg.
In this respect, ITM has launched several campaigns to raise awareness of workers’ rights and protect those who denounce unacceptable working conditions within their company from dismissal.