"Strong unions are needed more than ever": Nora Back on re-election, challenges and the fight for rights
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Nora Back, re-elected president of Luxembourg's largest trade union, OGBL, considers the result of 97.88% of the vote not just recognition but a sign of cohesion. "It was a beautiful congress, we felt that the delegates supported us and were ready for the future," she told L'essentiel.
Unions, she said, are experiencing unprecedented pressure from the government. For the first time in 40 years, wages, pensions, working conditions and hours are under simultaneous attack. In this context, such high support only emphasises the determination of members to unite. "I'm glad it's not 100 per cent," jokes Back, emphasising that decisions in the OGBL are not made from above, but through the democratic participation of volunteers - workers from different businesses, occupations and statuses.
According to Back, the need for strong trade unions in modern Europe is only growing. Against a backdrop of global crises, authoritarian trends and social anxieties, it is trade unions that remain the main force of democratic counterbalance. This was confirmed by the words of European Commissioner Nicolas Schmit, who supported the OGBL at the congress.
Back emphasises that the union is adapting to the digital age, environmental challenges and labour market transformation. Unity with the other major union LCGB remains key in a number of areas.
Among the main threats, she cites an attack on collective bargaining. According to her, the government has crossed a "red line", affecting both the agreement system itself and trade union representation. She is particularly critical of the fact that the programme of the Liberal DP party, which is the furthest from workers' interests, formed the basis of the coalition agreement: "It's about extended working hours, shorter breaks and total flexibility at the will of the employer - it's terrible for employees."
Pension reform, on which OGBL has prepared its own analytical report, is also a cause for concern. Another worrying signal is the bill restricting the right to demonstrate, drafted under the pretext of pandemic events. "It creates unnecessary barriers to freedom of expression," Beck said.
The union, according to Beck, is not just on the defensive, but is taking concrete initiatives. In addition to the report on pensions, a draft update of the collective bargaining law was presented. The OGBL aims to be a modern player, able to adapt to challenges - but on terms of equal dialogue.
As for labour flexibility - Back says that compromises are possible, but only through collective agreements: "Otherwise, employers will impose conditions unilaterally. Flexibility should be mutual, not in favour of only one party."
