The Luxembourg Chamber of Deputies has put an end to a heated debate by unanimously supporting the exclusive right of trade unions to negotiate collective agreements, reversing an earlier vote that had drawn strong backlash.

After weeks of debate, the Luxembourg Chamber of Deputies unanimously passed a motion on Tuesday affirming that trade unions will retain the exclusive right to negotiate collective agreements.

The decision marks a reversal from October 2024, when the Christian Social People's Party (CSV) and the Democratic Party (DP) voted against a similar motion, which was re-submitted on Tuesday by MP Georges Engel of the Luxembourg Socialist Workers' Party (LSAP).

Opposition MPs expressed confusion over the governing parties' sudden change of stance. MP Djuna Bernard of the Green Party (Déi Gréng) criticised the prolonged discussion as "totally unnecessary," noting that it had provoked strong negative reactions from trade unions. Bernard emphasised that the government's initial plans questioned the core function of trade unions and undermined Luxembourg's reliance on strong social dialogue.

Minister of Labour Georges Mischo, however, denied ever challenging the unions' exclusive right to negotiate collective agreements. It is worth noting that the debate was sparked by a bill proposed by Mischo that would have allowed companies to negotiate collective agreements without trade union involvement.