Tripartite meetings on employment scheduled for February

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The Luxembourg Government has arranged five tripartite meetings for the month of February 1998; they are aimed at planning and creating new jobs.

Following the November 1997 orientation debate on employment policy in the Chamber of Deputies (LU9712134F), the Luxembourg Government council has determined the procedure for transposing the decisions taken by the European Council at the Jobs Summit held shortly afterwards (EU9711168F). The Government has decided to draw up, together with the social partners, a plan of action aimed at combating unemployment.

A "specific framework programme aimed at stimulating job creation" will be drawn up under the auspices of the Tripartite Coordinating Committee (Comité de Coordination Tripartite- LU9711127F) in the course of five meetings commencing on 6 February 1998.

By way of preparing for these meetings, the social partners and the Ministries affected have been requested by the Prime Minister to draft and publish their proposals aimed at encouraging the creation of new jobs; it has also been announced that the Government will determine its position at a special meeting "behind closed doors".

The Employers' Liaison Committee (Comité de liaison patronal) has met the OGB-L and the LCGB union confederations on two separate occasions as part of the preparations leading up to the "Tripartite". This Committee, which includes representatives of the employers' various federations and professional chambers, has been out of action for a considerable period of time. Discussions at these meetings mainly focused on the reorganisation of working time. The social partners have decided to keep talking, and were due to announce their final positions shortly before 6 February 1998.