Addressing the recent social conflict at Cargolux, Back noted that there had been no perceived government interference, and in fact, politicians’ silence during the strike surprised her. She stressed that the resolution of the social conflict was primarily due to the employees’ decision to go on strike.
Turning her attention to Luxair, Back expressed concern about the uncertainty surrounding the European call for tenders for the air cargo handling business. The 1,200 Luxair employees are anxious, and if the situation does not improve, they plan to organise a protest picket at the end of the month, she stated.
Regarding electoral programmes, Back mentioned that three parties — the Luxembourg Communist Party (KPL), the Luxembourg Socialist Workers’ Party (LSAP), and the Left Party (déi Lénk) — favour a reduction in working hours. While she saw this as progress, there were differences in their approaches. Other parties, however, oppose such a reduction, a stance that the OGBL is unhappy with. The OGBL firmly rejects the idea of flexible working hours proposed by the Democratic Party (DP), advocating for binding regulations to protect employees, citing the inequality in bargaining power between employees and employers.
Back also stressed that wage indexation was a non-negotiable issue for the trade union. While Fokus and the Pirate Party support capping indexation, the OGBL believes that true social justice requires better profit distribution and pay equity, without touching wage indexation.
In response to concerns that the OGBL’s demands might be excessive, Back argued that there was still much to defend, especially during times of crisis when workers often bear the brunt of economic challenges.
She clarified that the OGBL does not endorse or oppose any political party but provides recommendations based on policies. Ten years ago, the trade union called on its members not to vote for the Christian Social People’s Party (CSV). This time, the trade union will not go that far, despite “bad experiences with Luc Frieden and his austerity policies.” The OGBL has not forgotten this and is hoping for “a change of attitude” from the CSV lead candidate, all while remaining “cautious.”
