New collective agreement at Color Centre SA in Luxembourg: what will change for employees?

Color Centre SA, which operates SMETS shops in Luxembourg, has signed a new collective agreement with the OGBL trade union. This is the first renewal of the agreement since 2011 and will run from 1 January 2025 to 31 December 2027, covering around 60 of the company's employees.

The new agreement provides for a number of important changes in working conditions and social guarantees. A presence bonus has been introduced, which can be up to €2,210 gross per year, as well as paid breaks of 10 minutes twice a day. Employees now receive additional seniority leave, as well as the right to social leave (congé social), which can be used for personal or family matters. An important new feature is discounts of up to 70 per cent on selected product categories and adjustments to sales bonuses, which incentivise employees to work harder.

In addition, a pré-retirement programme (pré-retraite progressive) has been introduced to gradually reduce working hours before retirement. An important step towards improving work-life balance was the right to disconnect (droit à la déconnexion), which frees employees from having to answer work messages and calls outside working hours. A workplace harassment prevention procedure was also introduced to protect employees from a toxic work environment.

OGBL and a delegation of Color Center SA employees expressed satisfaction with the results of the negotiations, noting the constructive dialogue with the company's management. This agreement significantly improves working conditions and social protection for employees, which is particularly important in a changing labour market and increased demands on work-life balance.