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EU court backs preference for companies negotiating with trade unions in public contracts

Companies that negotiate pay and working conditions with trade unions may be given preference when public contracts are awarded, the EU’s top court confirmed on Monday.

The Court of Justice of the European Union ruled that including social criteria – such as the promotion of collective bargaining – in public procurement procedures is compatible with Article 67 of the EU Public Procurement Directive, which concerns the most economically advantageous tender. The court also stated that working conditions are an integral part of the performance of a public contract, meaning that contracting authorities may award contracts based on more favourable working conditions than those set out in sectoral collective agreements.

Luxembourg’s trade union federations, the Independent Trade Union Confederation of Luxembourg (OGBL) and the Luxembourg Confederation of Christian Trade Unions (LCGB), welcomed the ruling in a press release on Monday morning. The verdict comes at a particularly relevant moment, as discussions are currently underway in Luxembourg on implementing the EU directive on minimum wages and collective bargaining.

Also today

• The public prosecutor’s office has confirmed to RTL that there will be no criminal trial following the deadly collision which killed three people in March 2023.
• Police arrested a man in Differdange on Sunday after he allegedly threatened his partner with a knife in a domestic violence incident.
• Luxembourg’s carnival season concluded over the weekend with lively parades in Pétange, Remich, and a night parade in Wasserbillig, drawing tens of thousands of spectators to celebrate the country’s oldest and most colourful carnival traditions.
• The race for Paris mayor hung in the balance Monday as a right-wing former minister hoping to wrest control of the French capital from the left claimed she had gained key support for a second-round run-off.
• A Spanish court today rejected a bid to put Valencia’s former regional president on trial over his handling of deadly 2024 floods, ruling there was no evidence of a legal violation.
• European and other Western allies have pushed back on Donald Trump’s call for military escorts in the Strait of Hormuz, with countries like the UK, Germany, Poland, and Spain ruling out a NATO mission or troop involvement

On air

Josh is in for Tom on drive this week and there is the small matter of the Luxair competition over the next couple of days to celebrate St. Patricks day!

Figure of the day

The Swiss government on Monday rejected a hard-right proposal to limit immigration to stop the population from hitting 10 million before 2050,

• Swiss voters will have their say on June 14 on a proposal entitled “No to a Switzerland of 10 million residents”, championed by the Swiss People’s Party (SVP), the country’s biggest party.
• The SVP, which has its roots in rural politics, is opposed to the EU, mass immigration and any weakening of Swiss neutrality.

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