For a long time, Luxembourg was regarded by its neighbours as a country that prioritised social dialogue, a place built on consensus. But holding a microphone up to supporters of the Independent Luxembourg Trade Union Confederation (OGBL) union gathered for the traditional Labour Day rally at Neumünster Abbey on Friday suggests that things have changed.
"I would say yes", said one woman. "We are living in a situation where the differences are becoming increasingly pronounced, and it is very difficult to find common ground."
Others were more forceful. "The social climate here in Luxembourg has hit rock bottom", said one activist. "No one listens to the unions anymore, nor to the employers. The government does whatever it wants. Social dialogue no longer exists. The social model is no longer respected, neither by employers nor by the government."
Those present had gathered to hear OGBL president Nora Back denounce what she described as an anti-worker government, and the frustration in the crowd was palpable. "I think Luxembourg is in a very bad way", said one attendee. "I would like to see something change, and it is up to the Prime Minister to act. I don't think he is on our side." Another echoed the sentiment: "The government has a strong tendency to chip away at the social protections we have had for a very long time."
In a rare occurrence in the Grand Duchy, Prime Minister Luc Frieden, who did make the effort to address the crowd, was roundly booed. One otherwise cheerful woman explained the mood plainly: "The atmosphere is tense. There are many cross-border workers coming in every day, on top of the people who live here, and the cost of living has become very difficult to manage on current wages."
The announcement of a tripartite meeting has offered a degree of hope, particularly for those expecting a more meaningful push on the minimum wage. But the mood at Neumünster suggested that the country may be edging closer to a social reality it has long managed to avoid, as one activist put it clearly: "We see Luxembourg as a very rich, very beautiful, very clean country. But poverty is very real here, and we don't think about those people. We think a lot about bankers, traders, all those with great wealth driving company cars. That is the image we want to project of Luxembourg, but in reality, it is not the whole picture."
