First agreement signed by Objective Full Employment network and employers' association

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In October 2002, the trade union-backed Objective Full Employment (OPE) network and the Luxembourg Horticultural Employers' Association signed a pioneering framework cooperation agreement, whereby unemployed workers will made available from an OPE 'pool' to the association's member companies, while being given training to ensure that they have a better chance of finding work in the sector.

In 1994, in response to a worsening unemployment situation, Social Action for Youth (Action Sociale pour Jeunes, ASJ) and the Luxembourg Confederation of Independent Trade Unions (Onofhängege Gewerkschafts-Bond Lëtzebuerg, OGB-L) decided to combine their know-how and experience, and carry out extensive research into the issue of employment. In a study published in 1995, the two organisations proposed the development of alternative models that use new socio-economic strategies to combat unemployment.

As a follow-up to the study, ASJ and OGB-L drew up a plan to put into practice the concepts that had been developed. After a phase during which the various relevant bodies and administrations were given an understanding of the ideas developed in the course of the study, concrete applications were proposed in 1996 in the form of local, sectoral and regional structures. In 1997, the first local development structures aimed at helping unemployed people into work were opened in the form of not-for-profit associations (LU9710122N). In 1998, a number of centres were set up to promote employment schemes in areas such as the environment, cultural activities, management of extra-curricular time, tourism, local community services and new technologies.

With a view to simplifying the organisation and management of human and material resources employed in the new local structures, the partners decided to set up a new association, known as Objective Full Employment (Objectif Plein Emploi, OPE), as from 1 January 1999.

On 3 October 2002, OPE and the Luxembourg Horticultural Employers' Association (Fédération horticole luxembourgeoise) signed a cooperation framework agreement. This is a real 'first' as it is though to be the first time in Luxembourg, or anywhere else in Europe, that such a partnership had been established between a trade union and an employers’ association. The agreement is the outcome of nearly 18 months of negotiations between two partners who 'wanted to define a complementary space for cohabitation between horticultural activities in the private sector and "green" activities carried out in the community as part of the solidarity economy.'

According to the president of OPE, the new measures for employment pioneered by OPE had 'given a number of employers' associations cause for concern, because they saw them as a kind of economic and social dumping. We must therefore call a halt to this mistrust, and prove that it is possible to collaborate by making use of one another’s experiences.' In practical terms, the agreement will make workers from a 'pool' run by OPE available to members of the horticultural employers' association, particularly at times of labour shortages, and provide these workers with training that will enable them to remain with the enterprise that requires their services, or seek employment elsewhere.

The two signatories will now try to persuade the public authorities to provide members of the horticultural employers’ association, within the framework of predetermined programmes and in identical conditions, with the same state aid as the OPE network receives.