Minister leaves employees in limbo

At the end of March 2023, tenders were launched for the award of two licenses for the provision of “Ground Handling Passenger” services and two licenses for “Ground Handling Cargo” services at Luxembourg Airport. On October 31, 2023, the deadline set in the tender procedure for the selection of the winning companies expired. However, the Minister responsible has still not taken a decision, leaving the employees in the lurch.

For the record, at the end of May 2023, Luxair decided to withdraw from the tender for cargo ground handling licenses. At the same time, Cargolux decided to participate in the tender through a new subsidiary.

Since then, the situation for Luxair employees at the CargoCenter has become untenable. Apart from the feeling of abandonment felt by the CargoCenter staff after 27 years of loyal service to LuxairCargo, the transfer of business and staff to a new company at the end of the bidding process raises fundamental questions. These employees need stability and clear answers.

Faced with this situation, the unions immediately demanded the negotiation of an agreement to resolve 5 essential points:

1. A job guarantee for all affected employees. This job guarantee should clarify and ensure that there will be no redundancies after the transfer of activities and that the company will negotiate a job maintenance plan (PME) with the unions in case of overstaffing.
2. The establishment of an individual collective bargaining agreement for the new company, based on the Luxair collective bargaining agreement, guaranteeing that the rights and entitlements of the employees will be respected from the outset.
3. Adequate staff representation to support the transfer of employees as soon as they are taken over.
4. Guarantee existing agreements and protect non-legal benefits specific to Luxair personnel.
5. Fair and equitable recognition of the commitment of all employees concerned over the past years at CargoCenter.

For months now, the syndicates have been informing and meeting with the various parties involved, including the Ministry of Mobility and Public Works, Luxair and Cargolux.

However, negotiations to reach an overall agreement on the syndicates’ demands remain at an impasse. In the absence of a solution to the employees’ concerns, a first protest picket took place on September 29, 2023.

Although the deadline for the selection of companies was October 31, 2023, after almost two weeks, the licenses have still not been awarded by the Minister of Mobility and Public Works, and there is no information about the date of the award.

For the unions, this situation is unacceptable because the 1,200 CargoCenter employees continue to work in total ignorance of their future! Neither their future employer nor the guarantee of their future working conditions have been clarified, although the transfer of activities is scheduled for January 1, 2024.

Given the urgency of the situation, the unions are calling on the current Minister of Mobility and Public Works to issue these licenses without delay. Such a decision would allow negotiations to begin as soon as possible in order to secure the assets and livelihoods of CargoCenter employees.

Communicated by OGBL, LCGB and NGL-SNEP,
November 13, 2023