Hundreds of civil servants rallied outside Luxembourg's Chamber of Deputies on Wednesday to protest planned pension reforms, accusing the government of arrogance and calling recent public consultations a sham.
More than 300 civil servants gathered Wednesday afternoon outside of the Chamber of Deputies in Luxembourg City to protest the Frieden administration's proposed pension reforms, which would require people to work longer before retirement. The General Confederation of Civil Servants (CGFP) organised the demonstration, demanding a genuine social dialogue and calling recent public consultations a "sham debate".
In a speech, CGFP president Romain Wolff sharply criticised the government, accusing it of political arrogance and ignoring union input. "Frieden knew what he wanted from the start", Wolff said, calling the consultation process an "affront" and receiving applause from attendees.
The proposed reforms, he further warned, could reduce job opportunities for young people and put pressure on companies to retain older, higher-paid employees. Wolff also confirmed that the CGFP would accept an invitation from the government to meet on 9 July but warned of further action if dialogue does not improve.
The demonstration also showed signs of solidarity with private-sector unions OGBL and LCGB, who have planned their own national protest for Saturday. Several members of those unions joined the CGFP event, opposing not just pension reform but also longer shop hours, increased Sunday working hours, and weakened collective bargaining agreements.
In addition to CGFP members, representatives from municipal workers' union FGFC, railway union Syprolux, and the technical government staff union FGEC participated. FGEC president Laurent Becker said the protest should be seen as a "first warning" and criticised the government for failing to follow through on dialogue.
Not all civil servants were vocal. Some told reporters they were unaware of the protest, had to work, or preferred not to comment due to their official status. A few expressed support, while others felt unaffected by the proposed changes.
Several MPs attended the demonstration, including members of the Luxembourg Socialist Workers' Party (LSAP), the Pirate Party (Piratepartei), The Left (Déi Lénk), and the Democratic Party (DP), with members of the Christian Social People's Party (CSV) observing from further back.
