Talks in banking prove difficult

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In early 1999, talks to renew the collective agreement for the Luxembourg banking sector were proving particularly difficult, not least because of the markedly different views held by the three trade unions involved.

Negotiations over a new collective agreement for the banking sector - one of Luxembourg's key industries - commenced in October 1998 between the Luxembourg Association of Banks and Bankers (Association des Banques et Banquiers du Luxembourg, ABBL) and three trade unions - the Luxembourg Confederation of Independent Trade Unions (Onofhängege Gewerkschafts-Bond Lëtzebuerg, OGB-L), the Luxembourg Confederation of Christian Trade Unions (Lëtzebuerger Chrëschtleche Gewerkschafts-Bond, LCGB) and the Luxembourg Association of Bank Staffs (Association luxembourgeoise des employés de banque, ALEBA) (LU9811178N).

Following several rounds of discussions during December 1998 and January 1999, ABBL submitted to the union negotiators a number of papers on training, reorganisation of working time and future changes to pay structures.

The unions issued separate opinions on these proposals:

• LCGB noted a number of improvements relating to training and working time, but turned down an across-the-board pay increase of 6% spread over three years;

• OGB-L heavily criticised the perceived "negative flexibilisation of working time that would seriously reduce employees' quality of life". It demanded that training should be covered by the collective agreement, and regretted that the employers had refused to take another look at the sector's performance-related pay scheme; and

• ALEBA called for the employers to come back with a new proposal that takes account of the current "shining" financial situation in the banking sector.

The next negotiating meeting was scheduled for 10 February.