It had to happen. On Thursday, September 14, 2023, at exactly 6 a.m., the vast majority of Cargolux employees (including all the company’s mechanics) went on strike. They went on strike. The planes were grounded.

28 bargaining sessions and 5 meetings with the National Conciliation Service (NCS) over the past few months have yielded nothing. In a legal vote last July, a large majority of members of the two unions at the company had overwhelmingly rejected management’s latest proposal. And the unions had warned Cargolux management. If it continued to turn a deaf ear to the employees’ legitimate demands, the next step would be taken. And so it was.

As soon as the strike was announced the day before, management tried to launch a polemic to discredit the strike movement, in particular by leaking confidential information such as the amount of profit-sharing bonuses or staff salaries. However, as the unions are quick to point out, the wage increase demanded cannot be linked to the company’s profit-sharing bonus. On the one hand, this bonus depends on the net profit achieved by the company and its employees over the course of a year. Secondly, the amounts disclosed relate to the years 2020, 2021 and 2022 – the pandemic years – when the company achieved record results. They do not represent sustainable profits. And in view of the investments planned for the refleeting of Cargolux, the payment of such a bonus in the coming years is highly unlikely and therefore does not represent a sustainable improvement in wages, unlike a salary increase. Moreover, the wage increase demanded by the union camp corresponds exactly to the result of the negotiations obtained in 2019, when the company’s financial situation was less favorable.

It should also be remembered that it was the air freight employees who made it possible to supply Luxembourg during the pandemic by working up to 12 hours a day with great flexibility at the expense of their private lives.

The unions also emphasize that all their demands are aimed at ensuring the attractiveness of jobs at Cargolux. This is necessary in view of future recruitment needs due to the large number of retirements, the shortage of technical staff and pilots in the aviation sector, and the significant wage improvements granted by competing airlines.
For three days, the unions and employees of Cargolux will remain united and determined in their struggle. Messages of solidarity poured in. Luxembourgish singer-songwriter Serge Tonnar also came to support the strike.

On Saturday, September 16, management finally resumed dialogue by inviting the unions back to the negotiating table. An agreement was finally reached in the early evening. The strike was called off immediately. It was a good agreement that covered most of the unions’ demands:

A total wage package of 5.5% over 4 years, including the introduction of a new, transparent wage scale on January 1, 2024, which recognizes the seniority of technical maintenance staff.

A guarantee of protection against inflation, ensuring equal treatment for all Cargolux employees in the event of an index cap or a degressive indexation system.

Respect of the legal provisions on co-decision between management and employee representatives for the internal teleworking system.

The resumption of constructive social dialogue.

The new collective work agreement is valid until August 31, 2027.
The OGBL would like to pay tribute to the commitment and support of Cargolux employees throughout these collective negotiations. Their courage and solidarity made all the difference.