Sanitary, heating and air-conditioning installers and refrigeration installers

Period of validity of the collective agreement

Tacitly renewed annually since 30 June 2008 (Article 23)

Personal and material scope

Material scope (Article 2)

This collective labour agreement applies to all Luxembourg and foreign undertakings engaged in the area of sanitary installation and/or heating and air-conditioning installation and/or refrigeration installation operating in the territory of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg.

Personal scope (Article 2)

This agreement applies to all workers carrying out sanitary installation, heating and air-conditioning installation and refrigeration installation in the territory of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg.

Remuneration

Qualification and classification (Article 9)

Classification into the different qualification groups depends on the employee’s training, knowledge, skills and experience. Details on the qualifications for each class are set out in the collective agreement.

• Apprentices
• Young workers
• Unskilled workers (NQ1-NQ4)
• Semi-skilled workers (SQ1-SQ2)
• Skilled craftspeople / Fitters (Q3-Q6)
• Highly skilled craftspeople (HQ)
• Highly skilled workers (HQ)

Remuneration (Articles 10)

Salaries are available for download at the bottom of the page.

Other remuneration items

Piecework (Article 11)

• Piecework is permitted with the employee’s agreement.
• Remuneration for piecework is calculated in such a way that, for agreed work and regular working hours, the employee receives at least 125% of their normal hourly wage.
• If the piecework proves to be impracticable, the normal hourly wage remains payable for the hours worked.
• In the case of piecework, the hourly wage is paid as an instalment. Receipt for piecework must take place no later than 1 day after completion of the job in question. The balance will be calculated and paid on the day following the usual salary payment.
• Piecework is not allowed for apprentices and young workers. They may, however, assist the worker with piecework, provided that their remuneration is calculated on an hourly basis.
• (Grand-Ducal Regulation of 23 December 2005) ‘Increases for additional work’ specifies the arrangements that may be applied.

The following increases must be applied:

• Overtime: increase of 25%.
• Sunday work: 70% increase in the hourly rate.
• Intermittent night work carried out between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m.: 50% increase in the hourly rate.
• Regular night work: increase of 25%.
• Work on a statutory public holiday: increase of 100%.

Increases for work carried out in aggravating and unsanitary conditions (Article 14)

For carrying out unsanitary work: salary increase of 25%. This increase is limited to the time actually spent on the work provided for in the Grand-Ducal Regulation of 23 December 2005 and set out in the collective agreement.

End-of-year bonus (Article 15, partly incorporating the Grand-Ducal Regulation of 23 December 2005)

The bonus is calculated on the basis of hours worked (including overtime), excluding paid leave, public holidays or non-working days and extraordinary leave and hours off due to sickness or accident.

The amount of the bonus is calculated using the percentages shown in the following table:

• 2.0% with 1 year of service in the undertaking
• 2.5% with 3 years of service in the undertaking
• 3.0% with 4 years of service in the undertaking
• 4.0% with 7 years of service in the undertaking
• 4.5% with 10 years of service in the undertaking
• 5.0% with 15 years of service in the undertaking

Workers who have not had any accidents at work or while commuting (recognised by the Association Assurance Accidents [Accident Insurance Association]) and were off work during the reference period, are entitled to the following additional percentages (bonus supplement):

• 0.75% in 2005
• 0.75% in 2006
• 1% in 2007

These percentages are therefore in addition to the percentages for the amount of the bonus.

Reduction in bonus for absences

Sick leave (the collective agreement provides for cases in which the absence will not be taken into account)

The bonus is paid at a rate of:

• 100% with one period of absence
• 75% with two periods of absence
• 50% with three periods of absence
• 25% with four periods of absence
• after the fourth period, no bonus is paid.

For workers over the age of 50, the bonus is paid at a rate of:

• 100% with two periods of absence
• 75% with three periods of absence
• 50% with four periods of absence
• 25% with five periods of absence
• after the fifth period, no bonus is paid.

A 1-day attempt to return to work between two periods signed off work does not constitute an interruption in the period.

Unjustified absences

• An unjustified absence leads to the total withdrawal of the bonus.
• This withdrawal must be confirmed in writing to the worker as soon as possible, but at the latest with the statement for the current month. If the employer fails to inform the employee of the total withdrawal of the bonus because of unjustified absence within the month following the absence, the absence will cease to give rise to total withdrawal of the bonus.

Working time (Article 7)

Working hours and overtime are in accordance with the provisions of the Labour Code.

Leave entitlement

Annual leave (Article 17)

Collective leave of 15 days, including the Assumption public holiday on 15 August, starting on the first Monday of August, will be applied each year.
Derogation from collective leave is possible for employees involved in troubleshooting, maintenance and repair work with the agreement of the staff delegation and the employees concerned. The delegation must be informed of each derogation.

Requests for leave must be submitted in writing within the following time limits:

• at least 48 hours in advance for 2 days of leave, except in cases of force majeure;
• at least 2 weeks in advance for 3 to 5 days of leave;
• at least 1 month in advance for any leave of more than 5 days.

For urgent medical appointments during working hours, the employee is entitled to 4 times per year for 2 hours each time.

Extraordinary leave (Article 18)

Employees are entitled to extraordinary leave set at:

• 1 day: for the death of a sibling, a grandparent on either side, a grandchild, a step-siblings or a sibling-in-law;
• 2 days: for the birth of a legally recognised child, the marriage of a child and for moving house;
• 3 days: for the death of a spouse, parent, step-parent, parent-in-law, child, stepchild or child-in-law;
• 6 days: in the event of the employee getting married.

Social leave (Article 19)

Workers are entitled to social leave in accordance with the restrictive list and the procedures laid down in the collective agreement.

Termination of contract

Termination of contract with notice (Article 4)

Termination of a contract with notice is in accordance with the provisions of the Labour Code.

Termination for gross misconduct (Article 5)

Termination for gross misconduct is in accordance with the provisions of the Labour Code.

Travel, board and lodging

Working conditions (Article 6)

The employer provides transport for workers from the undertaking’s headquarters to the work site and back, or covers workers’ transport costs as described below.

The employer covers the costs of accommodation and meals if the return part of the trip cannot take place the same day.

The collective agreement provides for how travel, parking and mileage expenses are determined and calculated.

Health, safety and hygiene

Working conditions (Article 6)

• When carrying out their work, employees must comply scrupulously with all safety instructions and take the necessary safety measures in order to carry out their work without exposing themselves or other persons to risks of any kind whatsoever.
• Employees must carry out the work entrusted to them in accordance with best practice and with the utmost care. They must follow instructions from their superiors.
• Workers are responsible for the tools entrusted to them. They must bear the value as it stands of tools lost intentionally or as a result of serious negligence. Tools remain the property of the employer and must be returned to the employer when the worker leaves the undertaking.

Increases for work carried out in aggravating and unsanitary conditions (Article 14)

For carrying out unsanitary work: salary increase of 25%. This increase is limited to the time actually spent on the work provided for in the Grand-Ducal Regulation of 23 December 2005 and set out in the collective agreement.

If the temperature in the workplace exceeds 30 °C or falls below -12 °C, occasional breaks must be provided. The employer must provide workers with clothing appropriate to the circumstances when workers are required to carry out work in premises where the temperature falls to the minimum of -12 °C. (Grand-Ducal Regulation of 23 December 2005)

Interruptions in work in the event of an accident at work (Article 20)

Interruptions in work due to accidents at work are subject to the following provisions:

• If the employee falls victim to an accident at work resulting in an interruption in work, the day on which the accident took place will be paid in full.
• The actual loss of salary will be reimbursed when an accident victim is rescued and transported to the undertaking or to the work site, or when the authorities report that an accident at work has occurred.

Safety at work sites (Article 21)

• Employers and employees must comply with all accident prevention requirements and to take all necessary precautionary measures to avoid accidents to the greatest extent possible.
• Employees must make use of the safety gear and equipment made available to them and must collaborate actively in the interests of maximum safety at work sites.
• Employees are personally liable for accidents that occur as a result of their failure to follow safety instructions. They are also liable if they have not complied with the undertaking’s general safety instructions, where they exist.

Other elements (including sector-specific provisions)

Hiring and probationary period (Article 3)

The arrangements and time limits for the probationary period are in accordance with the provisions of the Labour Code.