Luxembourg trade unions say DuPont owes employees back pay
OGBL and LCGB blame ‘serious wage defaults’ on new payroll system introduced in the US
A number of employees at various DuPont company sites in Luxembourg are owed as much as 30% of their salaries in back wages, according to trade unions OGBL and LCGB.
The two unions issued a statement Tuesday morning saying that “serious wage defaults” have been experienced since October 2023.
Following the introduction of a new payroll system on the American continent, the unions say that human resources at the Luxembourg sites are no longer able to ensure the proper payment of salaries.
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“The staff delegation, supported by the LCGB and OGBL unions, firmly rejects this situation. It is unacceptable and unworthy of a group of DuPont’s size and prestige,” the two unions said in a joint statement Tuesday morning. They said that efforts to engage in dialogue with the company management have been rejected.
“In view of the inefficiency of the system, employees have completely lost confidence,” the unions said. They are demanding the old salary management system be restored to sort out the mess.
“The new payment system does not take into account Luxembourg collective agreements. This poses a problem for the payment of weekend and night shifts and overtime. The loss of earnings can amount to €1,000 for an employee,” Mandy Noesen, LCGB union secretary, told Virgule.
“The problem detected in Luxembourg can only be resolved in the United States. Social dialogue is good in Luxembourg, but we have the impression that the situation is not being taken into account by the Americans,” Noesen added.
The unions have said they reserve the right to take any action they deem necessary if the company does not remedy the situation.
On Tuesday afternoon, a DuPont spokesperson told Luxembourg Times that the company was aware of the technical issues involving the payroll systems at the DuPont Luxembourg facility. “We take this matter very seriously and regret the inconvenience it has caused some of our employees,” the spokesperson said. “We are actively working to implement corrective actions and resolve the technical issues between the company and its vendors to ensure our employees are paid in an accurate and timely manner.”
Updated on 7 February to include statement from DuPont.
