Ongoing negotiations for a collective work agreement (CWA) between cargo carrier Cargolux and trade unions hit a wall Wednesday following a relatively successful compromise reached regarding air staff in the beginning of the month.
Talks between Cargolux and OGB-L and the LCGB trade unions have been underway since September 2014, and have seen several principle agreements reached, including a CWA aiming to reduce costs by up to $9 million annually whilst safeguarding the salaries of ground staff and, most recently, the decision to invest in 100 new pilots.
However, talks on Wednesday 9 December 2015 were reportedly cut short, with Cargolux claiming in an official statement released by the company that the LCGB had "surprisingly backtracked on the principle agreement reached on 1 December". The statement further went on to accuse the trade unions of shying away from their responsibility for job security and growth in the Grand Duchy, questioning "the reliability and credibility of a social partner who agrees on certain compromises, only to negate their own decisions days later".
"As reported last week, the partied had reached principle agreement on the main terms and the final wording hinged solely on items relating to pilots," the statement read. "The company had already agreed with OGB-L, CLSC and also LCGB on all points concerning Cargolux ground staff. As regards pilot matters, LCGB have since repeatedly raised new claims and consistently showed little if any willingness to compromise on items concerning their flying members and representatives. In today's meeting, as in previous sessions, LCGB were expressly invited to produce a complete list of all their demands for management's consideration. This they refused to do."
Cargolux was of the opinion that "an agreement was within reach", in contradiction with a statement released by the LCGB following talks on 1 December, in which the trade union remarked that "the LCGB cannot endorse the overenthusiastic press release of Cargolux", stating that although negotiations had been advanced there still remained much to be done in the days that followed in "finding a solution acceptable to all concerned".
The LCGB claimed that the reason negotiations had failed Wednesday was because "the essential points of the agreements reached in principle early last week had not been implemented by the Cargolux direction in the relevant treaty text". The LCGB further stated that it had attempted to propose solutions to Cargolux which would see the cargo company save USD 10 million, but that in return Cargolux had failed to reciprocate in terms of protecting jobs and future growth on a number of points.
The trade union commented that no agreement had been reached on the implementation in mid-February of new legal provisions of the duty and rest periods of pilots, which the LCGB stated was a point it would remain steadfast on, claiming it would "ensure safe and efficient flight operations and annual cost savings in the millions".
In an official statement published by the LCGB, the trade union cited Secretary-General of the Association Luxembourgeoise des Pilots de Ligne (ALPL) Dirk Becker in saying "It's not about more money or days off, it's about the long-term protection of the workplace and the operational co-determination of those willing to contribute to make millions of dollars."
The LCGB reported that it has decreed the applicable regulations of non-conciliation in writing, opening up the possibility for industrial action to be initiated.
