New trade union for print, media and culture sectors

A new trade union called Printing, media and culture – FLTL has recently been set up in Luxembourg. Affiliated to the Luxembourg Confederation of Independent Trade Unions, the new union is already active in negotiating several company and sectoral agreements. However, the official structure of the new union still had to be determined after low attendance at its inaugural meeting.

On 16 December 2006, a new trade union called Printing, media and culture – FLTL (Imprimeries, médias et culture – FLTL) was established, as a result of the merging of two unions – the Luxembourg Printing Workers’ Federation (Fedération Luxembourgeoise des Travailleurs du Livre, FLTL) and Printing and media (Imprimeries et médias). The latter union was already affiliated to the Luxembourg Confederation of Independent Trade Unions (Onofhängege Gewerkschaftsbond Lëtzebuerg, OGB-L).

Scope

The list of all the professions covered by the new trade union was formally confirmed at the founding meeting on 16 December 2006. Imprimeries, médias et culture – FLTL represents all workers and employees in the media sector, including those working in radio, television and the press, as well as in the advertising sector, printing presses and the book trade. Moreover, the trade union is also responsible for companies and organisations in the arts and cultural sectors, although it does not represent self-employed artists.

The new trade union will bring together several professions, including those of musicians, printers and photographers. The union is divided into three sections:

• printing, copying and publishing;

• media;

• cultural and artistic activities.

The current membership includes members from 40 printing and 10 media companies. It also includes approximately 100 musicians, about 70 of whom belong to the Luxembourg Philharmonic Orchestra.

Background and affiliations

The merger arose when FLTL decided to join OGB-L, of which the Imprimerie et médias union was already a member. Before the merger, FLTL included professionals working in the cultural and media sectors, but in a somewhat haphazard manner. Following the recent merger, however, it is joining forces with the most powerful trade union confederation in the country. OGB-L has almost 58,000 members, is the largest and most representative trade union in Luxembourg, and considers itself as constituting an ideal counterbalance to decisions made by employers and the government.

Moreover, the new trade union is a member of organisations at both European and international levels, including EURO-MEI, which is the European division of the Union Network International for Media, Entertainment and Arts (UNI-MEI), and the European Arts and Entertainment Alliance (EAEA). Imprimeries, médias et culture – FLTL also cooperates with the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ).

Trade union membership and activity

Printing, media and culture – FLTL already has 865 members, as a result of merging the two former unions. It has already been active during negotiations of sectoral collective agreements and is currently engaged in discussions regarding the 40-hour working week in some companies. Following on from negotiations conducted by the former Imprimeries et médias, the new union – which has taken over this responsibility – is currently working towards reaching seven agreements in five different enterprises: three agreements for blue-collar workers, and four for white-collar workers.

Sources

Le Quotidien, 18 December 2006.

Information sourced from the OGB-L website on 8 January 2007.

Franz Clément, CEPS/INSTEAD