ALEBA Call for Transparent Social Dialogue with Government, Other Unions

Following the recent State of the Nation address by the Prime Minister, and in response to the near-immediate rejection of dialogue by some national trade unions, the ALEBA employee's trade union has reiterated its commitment to a responsible, pragmatic and rigorous approach to the reforms proposed by the government, particularly those concerning the pension system and working conditions; it also addressed that planned mobilisation (strike) planned for 28 June.

The ALEBA stated that, while it shares the deep concern of its union counterparts about the future of the social model, ALEBA's DNA is first and foremost to analyse, understand and act on the basis of concrete and verifiable facts. It added that the union remains committed and proactive in seeking precise, transparent and truly beneficial responses for employees, and will never settle for a purely oppositional stance.

The trade union's statement included "ALEBA deeply regrets the lack of transparency shown by the government in the reform process, especially regarding pensions. We deplore the minister's public announcements without having presented the full analysis of the proposed solutions discussed during the consultations. We have clearly submitted our proposals and concerns to the competent minister, but to date, no precise response has been received.

In this regard, ALEBA particularly insists on the following points:

• Pension reform: We firmly reject any unjustified deterioration of retirement conditions, particularly the arbitrary extension of contribution periods, which would disproportionately penalise younger generations. We call on the government to immediately publish the detailed calculations underlying its proposals. We advocate for an open dialogue around a viable mix of alternative solutions, such as abolishing the contribution ceiling, while ensuring that purchasing power is not unduly affected. We also support significantly strengthening pillars 2 and 3 by raising the ceilings on supplementary pensions, and implementing a fair tax on corporate profits boosted by AI and digital technologies.

• Social dialogue and Collective Bargaining Agreements (CBAs): ALEBA demand a legal guarantee for the effective participation of ALL unions with elected representatives in sectoral and at company-level CBA negotiations. We strongly support the EU objective of covering 80% of workers under CBAs and call on the government to deliver concrete, measurable steps to reach this goal.

• Single tax class: We remind the government of its coalition agreement commitment to establish a single tax class, a key promise to ensure real tax justice in Luxembourg".

Regarding the national mobilisation planned for 28 June by other unions, ALEBA stated that it believes that such demonstrations must be rooted in a clear, well-argued and constructive vision. Therefore, ALEBA has invited its fellow unions to inter-union dialogue aimed at supporting legitimate common demands for employees across all sectors.

ALEBA also confirmed that it will consult its Board of Directors and members through its internal democratic bodies to share the outcome of these inter-union exchanges and determine its position accordingly.

Finally, ALEBA stated that it remains firmly committed to social dialogue and strongly wishes to be included in the constructive discussions currently being undertaken by the Government with other responsible trade union organisations. It has officially called on the government to include ALEBA in these consultations, as a committed and constructive partner, so that its proposals may be heard, analysed and integrated into the reforms under consideration.

Its statement concluded that, true to its historic trade union mission, ALEBA will continue to defend the concrete and legitimate interests of all employees in the country with determination and pragmatism.