Pay increases for Contern S.A. employees

The majority union OGBL, the LCGB and the staff delegation recently signed a new collective agreement with the management of Contern S.A. for the company’s approximately 150 employees.

The new agreement covers the period from January 1, 2023 to December 31, 2025 and includes the following improvements

A salary increase of 120 euros gross, spread over 3 years in equal tranches of 40 euros each, retroactive to January 1, 2023.

Additional remuneration of up to 120 euros gross per month, depending on the outcome of an assessment interview, from January 1, 2024.

Communicated by OGBL and LCGB , September 21, 2023

OGBL demands a job protection plan to avoid 55 dismissals at Goodyear

On September 6, 2023, the management of Goodyear Luxembourg announced its intention to cut 55 jobs. These are all administrative jobs. At the same meeting, management announced that it will invite the unions to discuss the situation in the next few days. According to management, all options are on the table.

For the OGBL, it is clear that the situation requires the implementation of a job protection plan (plan de maintien dans l’emploi – PME).

Given that management has explicitly expressed its willingness to meet with the unions as soon as possible, the OGBL is astonished that another union is publicly claiming to have requested an “urgent meeting” with management. Worse still, the union’s communication implies that the 3,500 jobs at Goodyear Luxembourg are under threat, which is far from the case.

The OGBL will, of course, do everything in its power to avoid redundancies, in particular by implementing a PME. The OGBL looks forward to starting negotiations on a PME as soon as possible.

Press release from the OGBL Chemistry Syndicate,
September 6, 2023

Job protection plan at Tarkett GDL

The OGBL, the company’s majority union, and the LCGB have just reached an agreement with the management of Tarkett GDL on job protection plan (plan de maintien dans l’emploi – PME).

The company, which specializes in floor coverings and employs about 500 people at its Clervaux site, is currently experiencing difficulties due to economic factors and the consequences of the Covid crisis. The job protection plan signed with the OGBL and the LCGB aims to safeguard jobs, preserve the skills of as many employees as possible and avoid redundancies for economic reasons at Tarkett GDL.

The agreement covers a period of 8 months, from September 1, 2023 to April 30, 2024.

The main elements of this PME are:

  • early retirement due to corporate restructuring and progressive early retirement
  • voluntary departures
  • temporary modification of the work organization plan (POT) for the coating line.

These measures will mainly help to avoid redundancies and ensure the future of the Clervaux site.

Finally, it should be noted that the agreement negotiated by the social partners still has to be submitted to the competent structures for approval.

Press release by OGBL and LCGB
August 4, 2023

New collective agreement for No-Nail Boxes employees

On July 24, 2023, the OGBL and the management of No-Nail Boxes (NNB) signed a new collective agreement for the approximately 100 employees at the Wiltz site. NNB specializes in the production of folding boxes for industry.

Negotiations between management and the OGBL, represented by three of the company’s three staff delegates, took place in a constructive atmosphere and resulted in a positive agreement for all employees. The new agreement covers a period of three years. It is retroactive to July 1, 2023 and will run until June 30, 2026. The agreement includes the following improvements

Bonus for arduous work and afternoon shifts

  • from July 1, 2023 to December 31, 2025, a weekly bonus of 50 euros will be granted to workers who perform the 2 p.m. to 10 p.m. tour for five consecutive days without interruption.
  • from January 1, 2026 to June 30, 2026, a weekly bonus of 80 euros will be paid to workers who take the 2 p.m. to 10 p.m. break for five consecutive days without interruption.

Attendance bonus

  • as of July 1, 2024, a monthly attendance bonus of 150 euros will be paid to any employee with a No-Nail Boxes work contract who can prove that he or she has not been absent from work during the month in question.
  • on July 1, 2026, a monthly attendance bonus of 170 euros will be granted to any employee with a No-Nail Boxes work contract who can prove no absence from work during the month in question.

Seniority Bonus

  • new seniority steps have been added to the salary scale, giving employees greater opportunities for advancement – the maximum step is now set at 27 years of seniority.

13th month bonus

  • from January 1, 2025, employees with 10 years’ service and less than 10 days’ absence will receive a 13th month’s salary equal to 115% of the previous December’s base salary.

All other benefits will be maintained in the new collective agreement.

Press release by the OGBL Chemistry Syndicate,
July 25, 2023

New collective bargaining agreement at Dupont de Nemours includes wage improvements

The OGBL and the LCGB have reached an agreement with the management of Dupont de Nemours on a new collective agreement for the Luxembourg site, valid for three years from January 1, 2023 to December 31, 2025.

The new agreement for the approximately 840 employees includes the following measures

One-time bonuses:

  • Payment of a one-time bonus of €500 to each employee subject to the role design principle in March 2023 (already paid);
  • Payment of a one-time bonus of €750 to each employee subject to role design and single role in March 2024;
  • Payment of a one-time bonus of €750 to each employee subject to role design and single role in March 2025.

Subject to legal requirements, the payment will be made in the form of a participatory bonus, which means that 50% of the bonus will be tax exempt in accordance with article 115 number 13a of the Income Tax Law (loi concernant l’impôt sur le revenu – L.I.R.).

Average merit increases:

Agreement on an average annual “merit” increase of 1.2% for employees subject to the Single Role Principle for the years 2023 (already implemented), 2024 and 2025. The adjustment will be made in March of each year.

Vacation allowance increase:

Vacation allowance will be adjusted as follows and paid in May of each year:

Old Vacation Allowance New Vacation Allowance
beginning in 2024
up to 5 years of service €448 €600
up to 10 years of service €510 €650
up to 15 years of service €571 €700
up to 20 years of service €633 €750
up to 25 years of service €757 €850
up to 30 years of service €881 €950
over 30 years of service €1,005 €1,005

Conversion of normal holidays for shift workers:

The normal holidays of Lundi gras, Lundi de la Braderie in Luxembourg-City and the 4 hours of All Saints’ Day, which currently still exist for shift workers, will be converted and compensated by 4 additional days off.

As of January 1, 2024, the leave entitlement for shift workers will therefore be as follows

  • 0-4 years seniority: 36.5 days
  • 5-8 years seniority: 37.5 days
  • 9-12 years of service: 38.5 days
  • 13-16 years of service: 39.5 days
  • 17 years or more of seniority: 40.5 days

Increase in daily supplement for temporary transfers from 25.5% to 26%.

Various text simplifications and updates to reflect new collective agreement provisions.

Press Release June 12, 2023

The European industrial union family meets in Thessaloniki

IndustriAll Europe’s mid-term conference was held in Thessaloniki, Greece, on May 31 and June 1, 2023, under the slogan “Power in a Union!”. It was the first major European gathering of trade union militants from industriAll Europe member organizations since the pandemic.

Nearly 500 staff delegates from industrial trade unions in 34 countries took part. The OGBL, the only Luxembourg trade union present, was represented by Stefano Araujo, member of the Executive Board, Patrick Freichel, Central Secretary of the Metal Processing Syndicate.

The conference gave delegates the opportunity to look back on two years of European trade union work since the 2021 Online Congress, and to discuss strategic priorities up to the next Congress in 2025:

– For strong and sustainable industrial jobs in Europe

– For fair wages and working conditions

– For solidarity and peace in Europe

Strong unions are the basis for defending workers’ interests and making their voices heard. Their participation in shaping industrial policy is essential to creating, transforming and maintaining quality jobs in industry. In a context of ecological and digital transition, the fight for decent jobs for all, the fight against precarious work in European industrial sectors and the guarantee of healthy and safe workplaces remain the priority of the trade union organizations present!