PLIGHT OF THE PETTY BOURGEOISIE
Recruitment struggles still plague Luxembourg's restaurants post-Covid
Author: Raphaël Ferber - adapted for RTL Today|Update: 15.07.2022
© Shutterstock/image d'illustration
Luxembourg's hospitality sector is experiencing a staffing crisis, as one pizzeria owner can testify.
"The sector is a catastrophe."
The crisis in the hospitality sector is certainly not new, but the pandemic has exacerbated staffing conditions across the board - even in the Grand Duchy, where salaries tend to skew higher than neighbouring countries.
Read also: Horesca sector hit hard by staff shortages
RTL 5Minutes spoke to a pizza restaurant owner in his forties, who has been based in Luxembourg for seven years. In January, his pizza chef of five years chose to resign, and he has not been able to fill the position in the months that have passed.
"I paid €4,000 net, €3,980 to be exact," he explains. "I had increased it several times but I couldn't go any higher. He preferred to leave. However, he was housed for free, he had internet and when he wanted to eat or have a drink, he only had to visit the pizzeria. But during Covid, he saw that other people were staying at home and receiving unemployment, and that with a few extras, it was enough to live off."
These days, people want comfort in the form of working hours, even in our sector. Everyone wants to work eight hours, then go home, all while being paid well. But I can't sell my pizzas for €20 or €25!
Is a good salary no longer enough?
The owner, who asked to remain anonymous, said he had contacted the National Employment Office, as well as Forem, the Belgian office for employment and professional training. But neither was able to offer any help.
He added that even when he found staff from abroad, the authorities were reluctant to grant work permits on the pretext that there were sufficient jobseekers in Luxembourg already.
In order to adapt, the restaurant has reduced the number of covers per service. "I have to function with the staff available to me, which means halving my terrace and inside area. But the expenses are the same, the goods cost more, electricity and gas have increased. I don't know where to go from here, but winter is going to be difficult."
The pizzeria owner has already had to close another of his restaurants earlier this year, in June, due to a lack of staff. Since then, he has juggled older employees with extra staff and apprentices to keep his other establishment going, with two pizzaïolos from Liège working two to three days a week, while another part-time cook has joined from Bascharage.
"I pay their fuel costs and bonuses. I also have an apprentice coming from Thionville for training this summer. But I expect he will leave after the summer, it's very complicated. For me, it's a loss of time and money...so for now I'm trying to get by with family members," he told RTL 5Minutes.
What is the issue? As far as the interviewee was concerned, salary alone is no longer enough to attract quality staff.
"These days, people want comfort in the form of working hours, even in our sector. Everyone wants to work eight hours, then go home, all while being paid well. But I can't sell my pizzas for €20 or €25! At this rate I would have to align myself with Swiss salaries!"
The owner said he resented the unemployment system, which he feels has been poorly organised. "If people manage to collect unemployment benefits while saving on time, commuting costs, insurance and so on...why would they need to work?"
COMMENTS
Peterrr
(New user)
-16.07.2022 07:21
I have been working in the horesca for years, and one thing i can tell you. Even now when they cannot find employees, they wont pay you much more than a minimum salary... people with years of experience in a heavy and unhealthy environment work odd hours, extra hours without a decent salary. I mean a ridiculous minimum salary which is not even enough to get a 30 years mortgage to a 50 sqm ruine in the country. Not to mention that you will work on sundays, holidays, split shifts, probably wont have days off, and you wont have a decent compensation (thanks to the government who lets horesca do what it wants to enslave its employees... I hope who left already wont ever come back to the industry because its inhuman.
4,000 EUR=4,032.26 USD
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