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As a high-stakes meeting looms on Tuesday, OGBL and LCGB are reiterating their demands for safeguards on union negotiation rights while calling for urgent discussions on a range of labour reforms.
Following the tense clash between Minister of Labour Georges Mischo and trade unions in October over the reform of collective agreements, a new meeting is set for Tuesday. The united front between the Independent Luxembourg Trade Union Confederation (OGBL) and the Luxembourg Confederation of Christian Trade Unions (LCGB) is demanding guarantees regarding their rights to negotiate and sign collective agreements.
With the deadline for their ultimatum to the Frieden government approaching and a major social mobilisation planned by the OGBL-LCGB union front at the end of June, the unions are reiterating their demands. Meanwhile, the "major social round table" promised by the Prime Minister has yet to materialise.
The conflict began when Minister Mischo's position led the OGBL, LCGB, and the General Confederation of the Civil Service (CGFP) to walk out of a meeting of the Standing Committee on Labour and Employment (CPTE). This move was a demonstration of their disagreement with the minister's proposed reform of collective agreements. The unprecedented alliance between the country's two largest unions underscored the gravity of the issue, which stemmed from the national action plan to implement an article of a European directive. The directive's primary goal is to ensure adequate minimum wages across the EU.
Under the draft action plan proposed by Minister Mischo, collective agreements would be negotiated within companies, but union representation would no longer be mandatory. This change would allow individual non-unionised employees to participate in negotiations – a development that the OGBL and LCGB view as a direct challenge to their purpose as nationally representative unions.
On the eve of the upcoming CPTE meeting on Tuesday, the unions have reiterated their demands. They insist that "before any further discussions within the CPTE," the government must guarantee "the right of signature and negotiation of collective agreements for unions with national representativeness" and commit to preserving the content of these agreements without restriction.
In a letter dated 26 February, the two unions formally requested a "firm and unequivocal commitment" from Minister Mischo on this matter. However, the contentious issues – particularly the reform of collective bargaining laws – are not included on the agenda for Tuesday's meeting.
More issues in the unions' focus
In addition to their demands regarding collective agreements, the OGBL and LCGB are urging Minister Mischo to include several pressing issues on the agenda of upcoming CPTE meetings.
One of these is draft bill 8479, which aims to introduce online applications for unemployment benefits. The unions stress that this proposal has not yet been discussed within the CPTE, despite falling squarely within its legal mandate.
The unions are also advocating for a discussion on the implementation of the European directive on platform work, as well as the introduction of concrete measures to strengthen social dialogue in line with Article 11 of the Council Recommendation of 12 June 2023; this seeks to enhance social dialogue across the European Union.
Other key topics on the unions' list include the reactivation of the National Employment Agency (ADEM) monitoring committee, a tripartite body tasked with overseeing and evaluating ADEM's performance in fulfilling its missions. They are further calling for a redefinition of the role of the Inspectorate of Labour and Mines (ITM), as well as revisions to legislation concerning job retention schemes, including the job retention plan and social plans. These changes, the unions argue, are necessary to better safeguard job security for employees.
Read also:
Social model at risk: Luxembourg unions condemn 'social apartheid' and set ultimatum for government action
Union action: OGBL leader threatens strikes over retail and pension reform
