Workers at the Luxguard 2 glass company have recently won new shift arrangements and a shorter working day after threatening strike action.
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Workers at the Luxguard 2 glass company have recently won new shift arrangements and a shorter working day after threatening strike action.
Luxguard 2 is part of Guardian, the international glass manufacturing group. The group employs 1,070 people in Luxembourg, and is the country's 13th largest company by size of workforce.
In recent negotiations, the employees' claim focused mainly on changing the shift system to 00.00-08.00, 08.00-16.00 and 16.00-00.00 on five successive days. Such working hours are extremely unusual in Luxembourg, with the overwhelming majority of shifts starting at 22.00. The company refused to budge on the grounds of problems linked to the way the company was organised and run.
The situation was reported to the National Conciliation Office, which refused to offer conciliation on the basis of the details it had been sent; instead, it gave the social partners one last chance to think it through. After that, a "non-conciliation" report would be drawn up whereby the workforce, backed by the OGB-L union, would be legally allowed to go on strike.
With the great majority of employees continuing to support an amended shift system and stating they were ready to go on strike - a rare event in Luxembourg - management finally agreed to the newly proposed system of work. This provides for new working hours arrangements with a more frequent change in shifts (2-2-3) over a 12-month trial period; a 20-minute reduction in the working day (despite the fact that general discussion on reduction of working hours is almost taboo for Luxembourg employers); and a 2% pay rise spread over three years.
Eurofound recommends citing this publication in the following way.
Eurofound (1997), Strike avoided at the 11th hour at Luxguard 2, article.
