The demo, organised by unions OGBL, LCGB, ALEBA and FNCTTFEL, rallied members at 5pm to protest against the “discriminatory” 6148 law, which ends Child Allowance for the children of workers when they reach 18.

While this reform affects all residents, residents’ children in full-time education are compensated by generous government grants and loans, which the children of cross-border workers do not benefit from.

Speaking at the rally LCGB general secretary Patrick Dury said: “Today we are demonstrating against a bill that creates a serious and intolerable social injustice among the employees of these countries. This new law will cause a deterioration of the payment of allowances for all employees, residents and commuters.

In return, a new system of scholarships for University rebalances the situation for many residents, despite the fact that some people may still be harmed.But that system of scholarships for university studies does not apply to the cross-border workers.
Thus, the cross-border workers with dependent children are seriously affected by the new law without any possible compensation even being considered.”

Mr Dury lambasted the European Union for failing to implement regulations which would ensure equal treatment of workers, regardless of where they live.