Luxembourg winegrowers pay €30,000 in fines
Anita Austvika, Unsplash
Luxembourg's Minister of Labour has summarised the results of inspections of wineries in 2024. During the grape harvest season, the Labour Inspectorate (ITM) inspected 44 farms and checked the working conditions of 343 workers, of which 315 were seasonal workers.
The Inspectorate identified the following cases of illegal employment:
- One employer engaged a foreign employee without a work permit.
- The second employer employed two employees from third countries also without authorisations.
The fines imposed totalled €30,000, €10,000 for each illegally employed worker.
Leitfaden zur Beschäftigung saisonaler Arbeitskräfte, a document created in cooperation with ITM, the Institute of Viticulture and other organisations, was published in 2024. The guide contains practical information on labour law, taxation and social guarantees for winemakers and their employees.
The Minister stressed that changes to the legislation on the labour organisation plan are not required as the current rules provide sufficient flexibility for seasonal workers.
The Labour Inspectorate continues to work on simplifying administrative procedures and improving information for employers and employees. Anyone can get advice at one of the four ITM offices or via contact forms on the organisation's official website.
