Staff Abandoned by Marks & Clerk – Management Refuses Fair Social Plan Despite Global Profits

The staff delegation of Marks & Clerk (Luxembourg), together with national trade union OGBL, express their strong concern and firm opposition to the company’s decision to carry out mass redundancies affecting 28 out of 30 employees (plus one fixed-term employee and one senior manager who do not fall under the social plan)— over 90% of the local workforce.

These layoffs, announced without meaningful prior consultation, follow the company’s internal decision to shut down its Luxembourg office. Despite the profound impact on the employees and their families, Marks & Clerk management has so far refused to negotiate a fair and balanced social plan with the staff delegation and union representatives.

Under Luxembourg labour law, a social plan must be negotiated within 15 days. This initial deadline expired on 22 July 2025, without any meaningful progress. As a result, the matter was referred to the “Office National de Conciliation” (ONC), and the first ONC meeting was held on 4 August 2025.

Despite this formal escalation, Marks & Clerk management continues to show no willingness to modify its position or engage seriously in negotiations. In accordance with legal procedure, a new 15-day negotiation period has now started. If no agreement is reached by 19 August 2025, the employer will be legally entitled to proceed with dismissals under only the statutory minimum conditions, without an agreed social plan.

The staff delegation, supported by OGBL, is demanding the following key social measures:

• The involvement of a Luxembourgish outplacement firm
• Robust training and reskilling support, fully funded by the employer
• Serious efforts at internal redeployment of affected staff across the group
• Significant financial compensation, based on seniority and social criteria

These measures are essential as the affected employees work in a highly specialised field — intellectual property (IP), with a focus on international patent administration — where job opportunities in Luxembourg are extremely limited.

This situation is particularly alarming given that Marks & Clerk is a globally active intellectual property firm, with operations across Europe, North America, and Asia. Marks & Clerk LLP (covering the UK offices and Luxembourg) reported a profit of €24,053,713 for the financial year 2024 (before members’ remuneration) — an increase of more than 20% compared to the 2023 financial year.

The lack of corporate social responsibility shown toward its employees in Luxembourg is unacceptable. Notably, during discussions, management explicitly stated that the affordability of the staff delegation’s proposals does not obligate the company to accept or fund them — a stance that underscores their unwillingness to support employees even where financial capacity clearly exists.

The staff delegation highlights:

• A lack of genuine social dialogue
• No transparency around the closure decision or process
• A refusal to offer appropriate compensation, transition assistance, or redeployment

We call on Marks & Clerk’s global leadership to:

• Engage immediately in constructive and meaningful negotiations
• Take responsibility for employees who have contributed significantly to the group’s European operations

The staff delegation, together with OGBL, remains fully committed to defending the rights and interests of the affected employees through all available legal and institutional channels.

Announced by the OGBL Services and Energy Syndicate
on August 6, 2025