Who are we?

We are the professional syndicate of all employees working in the commercial and catering sector: from large-scale distribution companies to many small and medium-sized commercial enterprises, including garages, hotels, and individual and collective catering.

The objectives

The Commerce Syndicate is committed to defending the material, professional and social interests of the employees in the commercial sector, garages and catering sector. A continuous policy within the framework of the collective bargaining agreements as well as at the sectoral level is the guarantee for the improvement and the safeguarding of the working conditions in the sector of commerce, garages and Horeca.

Our demands

• a general increase in wages and salaries,
• the introduction of proper careers,
• better opportunities for career advancement through continuing education,
• better working time conditions,
• no further liberalization of working hours,
• reduction of opening hours,
• recognition of qualifications after 10 years of work in the same job
• the creation of working conditions favorable to women and family life

Collective bargaining agreements

The OGBL Commerce Syndicate is a contractual partner in the following collective agreements: Action, Adler Mode, Auchan, Bofrost, Bram, Brico, BSH appliances, Cactus, Casino2000, Coca-Cola, Comptoir des Fers & Métaux, Cora, Courthéoux, C&A, Delhaize Luxembourg, EG Group, Etam, Inditex (Zara), Lagardère Travel Retail, Little Smets & Color Center L’Arche de Berchem, Hema, Hifi International, H&M, Match, Mister Minit, MPK Luxembourg GmbH, Neuberg, Valora Luxembourg, Veritas, Villeroy & Boch, SSP, Quiral (Springfield) as well as for the sectoral agreement of the branch called “Garages”.

The structures

In general, the syndicate leadership meets eight times a year to discuss all issues related to the commercial sector, garages and catering sector, including collective agreements. The syndicate leadership is elected by the staff delegates on the Syndicate Day.

In addition to the syndicate leadership, which covers the entire sector, the Commerce Syndicate also has three “sub-structures”: the Garages’ committee, which deals specifically with the problems of garage employees, the Horeca committee, which brings together the delegates from the Horeca sector, and the Permanents committee, which brings together all the full-time delegates from the sector. These committees have a certain autonomy in the performance of their tasks and can, among other things, give their opinion on specific issues.

The tariff committees of the collective agreements are composed of all OGBL delegates of the companies concerned.

The syndicate is represented in all decision-making bodies of the OGBL.

At the international level the Commerce Syndicate is represented in EURO-FIET as well as in SETA (European Union of Food, Hotel and Allied Workers in the IUF) and IUF (International Union of Food, Agricultural, Hotel, Restaurant, Catering, Tobacco and Allied Workers’ Associations). It is also represented, through the OGBL, in the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) and in the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC).