Luxembourg Mobility Ministry & TICE Continue Negotiations on Future Public Transport Agreement

On Tuesday 11 February 2025, Luxembourg’s Ministry of Mobility and Public Works and the TICE bus network union issued a press release in response to information published the previous day, Monday 10 February 2025, in a news article which detailed an exchange of correspondence between the Minister for Mobility and Public Works and the President of the TICE union.

In the press release, both parties emphasised that since January 2023, the Ministry of Mobility and Public Works and TICE political representatives have been negotiating a new financing agreement to ensure the long-term sustainability of the bus service amid a changing economic and environmental landscape. TICE is at a strategic crossroads, requiring decisions adapted to current challenges, the parties said.

The bus network extensions planned by the Ministry of Mobility and Public Works for December 2025 will place a “significant additional burden” on the TICE union, making route adjustments within TICE bus network necessary, according to the statement. The parties noted that the intermunicipal union's site is reaching its limits, both in terms of managing its large fleet and ensuring adequate working conditions for its staff.

As a result, and to ensure the long-term sustainability and quality of the service, the TICE union has decided to end its public school transport service from December 2025. To maintain service continuity, the Ministry of Mobility and Public Works will integrate school transport into the RGTR network, as is already the case in other regions of the country. These changes will not affect the timetables or routes of existing school bus lines.

The Ministry of Mobility and Public Works and TICE reported that negotiations are still ongoing. However, union concerns regarding the potential creation of a mixed syndicate and its impact on TICE staff working conditions or possible privatisation are “unfounded”, they argued. In the event of a mixed syndicate being established, current employment contracts would be preserved and transferred under a legislative framework similar to that used in municipal mergers, ensuring that TICE municipal employees maintain their status. The press release added that the upcoming agreement, which will define the routes operated by TICE bus network for the next decade, will clearly reaffirm the commitment to a sustainable and high-quality public transport service.

The Ministry of Mobility and Public Works and TICE said they are continuing negotiations for a new financing agreement. Both parties expressed confidence that these discussions will lead to an agreement ensuring the long-term sustainability of TICE. The agreement aims to provide an enhanced public transport service, better adapted to the needs of the population in the south of the country.

“We deeply regret that an internal document was leaked in the midst of constructive negotiations, before all relevant political bodies and the staff delegation had been informed of the current state of discussions. This breach disrupts the ongoing negotiations and does not reflect the spirit of collaboration that prevails between the involved parties,” the statement concluded.

IK