In March, all individuals currently employed in Luxembourg or those who have previously worked here are eligible to vote for the appointment of delegates representing their professional group in the Chamber of Employees. Given the increase in potential voters compared to the legislative elections, organising and conducting these elections requires a substantial effort.
In Ehlerange, ballot papers are being printed out at record speed. A staggering 650,000 ballots, each in one of nine different colours representing the nine different occupational groups, are required for the upcoming social elections. Even for Director Frederic Gillen, this is a considerable volume. The printing shop is expected to operate for a total of 110 hours to produce all the ballots and meet the deadline.
The ballots must be prepared in the coming weeks since the social elections will exclusively be conducted through postal voting. The ballots must be submitted to the Ministry of Labour by the 12th of March at best.
Eligibility to vote extends to everyone currently employed in Luxembourg, undergoing an apprenticeship, seeking employment, or those who are currently retired. Even Luxembourgish citizens who are retired and residing abroad have the opportunity to participate in the elections.
Employees have the opportunity to elect up to 60 delegates across 9 occupational groups who will advocate for their interests in politics over the next 5 years.
Sylvain Hoffmann, the director of the Chamber of Employees, highlights that for many cross-border workers, this election is their sole means of participating in the Luxembourgish political landscape.
Despite the heightened importance of voting during times of social challenges, the participation rate in the last social elections in 2019 was just above 30%.
The largest segment of potential voters lies in group 5, encompassing the services sector, including commerce, cleaning, and catering. These businesses alone account for 250,000 ballots.
In addition to the social elections, on the 12th of March, in every business with more than 15 employees, a new staff delegation can be elected. These delegations will represent the interests of fellow employees within the respective businesses.
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