"The employers in the construction sector regret that the unions left the negotiating table for a new collective agreement and launched the conciliation procedure unilaterally. The employers point out that they have always relied on a constructive and open dialogue with the unions and that it is important for it to find a solution in the interest of the staff. Employers continue to advocate for a collective agreement adapted to the economic context of the building sector. In order to reach a common agreement, however, it is important that both parties make mutual concessions. It is unacceptable that the unions uncompromisingly defend their positions while rejecting the employers' proposals as a whole. Thus, the employers proposed the following measures: a linear rate increase of 2.1% (0.7% per annum) and a premium of €100 per year for the approximately 18,000 employees covered by the collective agreement. On its own, this premium of a total of €300 equates to a financial volume of €5.4 million over three years."
