New collective agreement for blue-collar workers employed by the state

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A new collective agreement, signed in March 1999, has brought pay rises for blue-collar workers employed by the Luxembourg state into line with those awarded to civil servants.

On 17 March 1999, the Ministry responsible for the public sector and the OGB-L and LCGB trade unions signed a new collective agreement covering 2,000 blue-collar workers employed by the state, and another 700 blue-collar workers in posts and telecommunications. The broad lines of this agreement are usually adopted by the various local authority departments for their own blue-collar staff.

As this agreement took its lead from the settlement negotiated in the civil service - where talks lasted 30 months, and were concluded only following the passage of a law on reducing civil servants' pension entitlements (LU9808173F) - it applies retroactively from 1 March 1997 and expires on 31 May 1999.

The agreement introduces the same pay improvements as those awarded to civil servants, and blue-collar workers will therefore qualify for a "13th month" payment of 90% of a month's pay from 1998, and 100% from 1999. The deal is also innovative in that from now on: a "work plan" must be presented in advance to employee committees/works councils (délégations du personnel); and vacancies must be publicised so as to ensure greater transparency and make it easier for workers with health problems to find less arduous employment.