Luxembourg trade unions accuse government of undermining dialogue

In Luxembourg, the conflict between the government and public sector unions is escalating and has reached new dimensions. The national trade union OGBL (Onofhängegege Gewerkschaftsbond Lëtzebuerg) has issued a strong statement against the actions of the authorities, accusing them of systematically undermining social dialogue, one of the pillars of the Luxembourg model of labour relations.

The problem is not limited to the private sector, where collective bargaining disputes have failed since October 2024. This time the attack has touched the very core of trade union activism in the public sector - including the right to speak out publicly, to participate in discussions on draft legislation and to appeal to labour dispute resolution bodies.

According to OGBL representatives, the government, in an ongoing court case before the Administrative Court, argues that unions recognised as staff representation through ministerial decrees have no right to a public opinion. The authorities insist: such unions cannot make political statements even on issues directly affecting their members, nor do they have the right to appeal to the Public Service Reconciliation Commission.

This interpretation effectively reduces the function of personal representations to an advisory role - without the right to vote or influence. This, according to the OGBL, is a radical departure from the established practice of the last decades and contradicts not only the national Constitution, but also international labour standards enshrined in the documents of the International Labour Organisation (ILO).

The OGBL has already entered into co-operation agreements with several public sector workers' associations and has expressed its firm intention to lodge an urgent complaint with the ILO to draw international attention to the violation of the rights to freedom of association and trade union activity.

It is worth stressing that the rights now being challenged by the authorities have long been considered an integral part of Luxembourg's labour democracy. We are talking about freedom of collective action, the right to consultations, to discuss reforms, to express positions on key projects - all those elements without which any social dialogue loses its meaning and becomes a formality.