Labour minister 
The Inspectorate of Labour and Mines (ITM) imposed around €7.6m in fines in 2025, down roughly 44% from the previous year, according to figures presented during the press conference. Boly said inspection activity had nevertheless been maintained or slightly increased despite the reduction in sanctions, which the administration presented as evidence of a deliberate shift towards prevention and voluntary compliance rather than weaker enforcement.
“The question often raised in public debate is whether to educate or sanction,” Spautz said. “The answer is clear: these two approaches should not be opposed, but intelligently combined.” He said the reform under preparation would strengthen the ITM’s role in information, prevention and support for businesses while preserving its ability to sanction serious breaches of labour and workplace-safety law.
The prevention-first approach is not entirely new at the ITM. During the presentation of its 2024 annual report last year, the administration had already emphasised prevention and voluntary compliance while insisting sanctions remained necessary in areas such as labour law and workplace safety. But the scale of the reduction in fines marks the clearest statistical expression yet of the shift the government is now trying to formalise through reform of the labour inspectorate.
Enforcement pressure remains high
Despite the emphasis on prevention, enforcement activity remained substantial across labour law, workplace safety, posting rules and regulated establishments. The ITM continued inspections linked to working hours, employment contracts, salary obligations and health-and-safety rules, even as the administration tried to move away from the image of a purely punitive authority.
The government also wants to simplify procedures and expand sector-specific guidance with professional organisations. The ITM highlighted initiatives launched or expanded during the year, including guidance documents for horeca businesses, winegrowers and fairground operators. The administration also introduced “letters of observation” encouraging companies to regularise problems before formal sanctions are imposed, with 308 such letters issued in 2025.
Boly argued that public debate often reduces the ITM to its sanctioning role while overlooking its work in prevention, workplace safety and labour-law guidance. “The ITM is sometimes perceived in a reductive way through its control or sanctioning function, whereas its role is much broader and also rests on prevention, support and advice,” he said.
The annual report also points to growing operational pressure on the administration. The ITM recorded a 25% increase in complaints in 2025, while physical visits to counters increased even as calls and emails declined. Boly said the shift suggested more workers wanted face-to-face discussions of workplace disputes and labour-law questions.
The administration also continued expanding its workforce and training capacity. The ITM’s total workforce rose by 9.8% to 268 employees and civil servants, while the number of labour inspectors increased by 5.1% to 143 inspectors, including 107 active in the field. Training hours rose by 26% to 11,701 hours.
The ITM’s remit also expanded in 2025 through the integration of the National Service for Safety in the Public Sector, leading to the creation of a new advisory service for municipalities and public institutions. Boly nevertheless insisted the administration’s prevention-first strategy did not amount to a retreat from enforcement. “We are clearly continuing our mission of prevention, without forgetting that we are also an administration with inspection powers and, if necessary, the ability to sanction,” he said.
Questions remain over minimum-wage enforcement
In follow-up questions after the press conference, Boly was also asked about earlier debate surrounding enforcement of minimum-wage rules. He disputed the idea that the administration lacked enforcement tools and instead pointed to problems identifying employment relationships, particularly in cases involving supposedly independent workers.
“When it is clear what the employment contract is and what subordinate relationship exists, we can clearly determine which minimum wage applies,” Boly said. Spautz separately stressed that the ITM retained the means to monitor labour-law compliance within companies even as the government pushes the administration towards a more prevention-oriented model.
The exchange reflected a broader tension running through the annual report. While the government increasingly wants the ITM to present itself as a partner focused on prevention, compliance and guidance, its authority still depends heavily on its ability to investigate companies, impose sanctions and deter abuses in areas such as workplace safety, posting rules and salary obligations.
Even in a prevention-focused model, the credibility of the ITM ultimately still rests on the possibility of sanctions when voluntary compliance fails.
