Members of the Independent Luxembourg Trade Union Confederation (OGBL) assembled at Neumünster Abbey on Wednesday, 1 May for their annual Labour Day festivities. In her opening speech, OGBL President Nora Back accused the coalition government led by Prime Minister Luc Frieden of pursuing policies that are hostile to social interests.
Before her address, Back underlined the importance of unity among Luxembourg's trade unions, sending "fighting greetings" to Remich, where Luxembourg Confederation of Christian Trade Unions (LCGB) President Patrick Dury was simultaneously delivering his own May Day speech. Dury also addressed OGBL members at Neumünster via a video message, reinforcing the sense of solidarity between the unions.
While 1 May is a holiday, Back made it clear that there was little mood for celebration this year. "For two and a half years, we have been faced with the most anti-worker government in decades", she said. She cited the undermining of collective agreements, the deterioration of pensions, and the liberalisation of Sunday work as just a few examples.
Back accused the government of siding with big business interests and property speculators, claiming that "the seventy thousand minimum wage earners and their families are being trampled underfoot".
However, these attacks had only served to strengthen the resolve of Luxembourg's unions, the trade union president argued. "Today, we are stronger than ever", she declared, praising the cooperation between the OGBL and the LCGB. "The union between OGBL and LCGB is the only answer to these massive attacks. Only a strong, united and clear front can stop this government."
Addressing Minister of Labour Marc Spautz directly, Back demanded a €300 increase in the minimum wage and an end to what she called "games of calculation".
"Our side knows what one plus one is. Do not take us for fools. Would you have dared this if the majority of minimum wage earners were eligible to vote?" she asked.
On the housing crisis, Back described the situation as "nothing less than state failure", insisting that Luxembourg needs not only a rent cap but also a significant boost in public housing construction and robust measures against speculation, such as a progressive vacancy tax.
Back went on to lament that, "the island of happiness Luxembourg once was has long ceased to exist. The promise that each generation would be better off than the last no longer holds true."
She reserved particular criticism for the Prime Minister, arguing that especially in times of crisis – such as the current spike in petrol prices amid conflict in Iran – "technocratic management" is not enough and that what is needed is "political vision".
Back questioned how much faith people in Luxembourg could place in their government, especially as new challenges such as artificial intelligence threaten jobs. She called for a "New Deal" for Luxembourg, aimed at securing jobs and pensions in the long term.
Looking ahead, Back warned that if the government continues on its current path, in particular with the further privatisation of the health care system, the unions would be prepared to organise a general strike. "Our social security, our health insurance, are not negotiable", she insisted.
The Prime Minister has announced a tripartite meeting between the government, employers, and unions on 12 May. Back closed her speech by rallying support for a demonstration on that date: "On 12 May, we will show the government that the issue of the minimum wage is far from settled at our rally for a structural increase in the minimum wage. Mark the date!"
Members of the Luxembourg Confederation of Christian Trade Unions (LCGB) also marked May Day with their own meeting in Remich. Read more about their event here:
