37 companies allowed to reduce working hours

(CS) A Luxembourg economic committee has granted requests by 37 companies to place staff under reduced working hours in February.

The measure will affect around 2,062 employees. The companies concerned employ a total of 3,537 people.

This marks a decrease compared to figures approved in December for January, when 41 companies were allowed to cut working hours as a cost-cutting measure affecting over 2,400 workers.

The number of applications also went down, from 44 in December 2013 to 40 this month.

Under the “chômage partiel” scheme, companies are allowed to reduce working hours in order to pay lower salaries. The Luxembourg state meanwhile compensates workers for lost wages.

Companies need to re-apply on a monthly basis, with the next meeting of the “Comité de Conjoncture” scheduled for February 26.