New employee chamber brings workers together in single status

In November 2008, some 400,000 employees and pensioners whose work is or was in Luxembourg, regardless of their place of residence, will be invited to take part in the election of representatives for a new professional chamber, the ‘Chamber of Employees’. The latter will replace the two existing chambers, as Luxembourg has adopted a single status for blue and white-collar workers. The new organisation will commence operations in January 2009.

Historic merger

The adoption of a single status for blue and white-collar workers (LU0702069I) has led to the reorganisation of certain institutions; this includes the merging of the Chamber of Labour (Chambre de Travail/Arbeiterkammer Luxemburg, AK-L), representing blue-collar workers, and the Luxembourg Union of Private Sector Employees (Chambre des employés privés-Luxembourg, CEP-L), representing private sector white-collar workers. With the exception of government officials and public sector employees (LU0803019I), all workers and – a new element – all pensioners with private sector status will be required to join this single new body, to be known as the Chamber of Employees. The rail workers at the Luxembourg National Railway Company (Société Nationale des Chemins de Fer Luxembourgeois, CFL), who previously belonged to CEP-L, will also be joining the new organisation.

Election and operational process

An annual subscription charge, automatically deducted at source by the employer or by the new National Pension Fund, will enable the chamber to carry out its various activities and roles as of January 2009. All members will be able to elect representatives, who will hold office for five years within the organisation. Elections will be organised by postal ballot, on the basis of candidate lists presented by the trade unions in particular. About 400,000 employees and pensioners whose work is or was in Luxembourg, regardless of their place of residence, will be invited to vote; the election is scheduled for November 2008.

Like the government’s Chamber of Deputies (Chambre des Députés), the Chamber of Employees will comprise 60 elected members, spread over nine socioeconomic groups. Members will elect representatives within their own group as follows: metalworking (five seats), other industries (eight seats), construction (six seats), services and financial intermediation (eight seats), administration and public companies (four seats), health and social work (six seats), CFL rail workers (three seats), services (14 seats) and pensioners (six seats).

Certain elected representatives from the Chamber of Employees will then be appointed to participate in the work of other national institutions – such as the National Health Fund, the National Pension Fund, the Social Security Tribunal and the labour tribunals.

Role of chamber

National and European affairs

The Chamber of Employees, like its two predecessors, will have a legally defined role in the procedure of creating national laws and regulations. Consultation with the elected representatives from the various socioeconomic groups is an essential element of democracy in Luxembourg. The formal opinion of the chamber will be required on all bills which directly or indirectly concern its members, before a final vote is taken by the Chamber of Deputies. In particular, this will apply to all bills relating to the economy, social protection, labour law, education and vocational training. Moreover, the Chamber of Employees will give its formal opinion on the state budget, the use of public funds and tax issues.

As well as issuing opinions, the Chamber of Employees will have the right to submit proposals for bills to the government, which will be required to examine them and then submit them to the Chamber of Deputies.

Outside its obligatory consultative function, the Chamber of Employees will be taking over the responsibilities of the two previous chambers with regard to national and European socioeconomic issues, putting forward employees’ points of view on different social matters.

Vocational training

Luxembourg’s professional chambers play an essential role in organising vocational training. In conjunction with the three employers’ chambers and the Ministry of National Education and Vocational Training (Ministère de l’Éducation nationale et de la Formation professionnelle), the Chamber of Employees will be given the task of designing, organising and monitoring training in commercial and administrative professions, in craft trades, industry, the hotels and restaurants sector, and agriculture.

Odette Wlodarski, Prevent