© Helder Loureiro Alves da Silva / RTL
Opposition party LSAP has declared that the state of social dialogue proves what happens when the party is not in power, accusing the current coalition of creating a "shambles" and demanding a revival of tripartite negotiations.
Opposition MPs from the Luxembourg Socialist Workers' Party (LSAP) have accused the current government of trampling on social dialogue and are demanding its immediate revival.
During a press conference on Tuesday, the LSAP parliamentary group called on the government to take "a big step" towards trade unions to resurrect the process. The party argued that despite the Christian Social People's Party (CSV) and the Democratic Party (DP) having partially or fully backtracked on plans concerning pensions, Sunday work, and opening hours, these adjustments do not translate to genuine improvements for the public.
The LSAP, which was in government for 20 years until 2023, stated that the current political climate vindicates its role. According to the party, the "shambles" left by the CSV and DP after nearly two years in power demonstrates the consequence of its absence: social dialogue is disregarded, collective agreements are questioned, and overall "social strength" is lost.
Parliamentary group leader Taina Bofferding asserted that meaningful social dialogue would require the government to genuinely listen rather than making decisions from the top down. She criticised the governing style of Prime Minister Luc Frieden and Labour Minister Georges Mischo.
Fellow MP and former Minister of Health, Mars Di Bartolomeo, added a pointed critique, stating, "If someone were to rain on the head of government's parade as often as has happened, I'd know what I had to do."
The LSAP MPs have characterised the government's finalised proposals from the social dialogue rounds as a "disappointment" for employers, employees, and pensioners. Di Bartolomeo specifically criticised the eight-month extension for early retirement at age 60, labelling it a "compulsion". He also pointed out that maintaining the legal retirement age of 65 is not a new measure, noting that this and other provisions were already established in the 2012 pension reform, which he oversaw.
Former Labour Minister Georges Engel proposed a new approach to expanding worker protections. He argued that the government should require companies to have a collective agreement in place to be eligible for state aid or to participate in public tenders. This policy, combined with promoting sectoral agreements, could significantly increase the number of workers covered by collective bargaining in Luxembourg, according to Engel.
Regarding the ongoing difficult negotiations concerning the National Health Fund (CNS) and working time organisation, the LSAP called for the government to exercise greater tact and sensitivity in its approach.
