Every five years, the employees in Luxembourg are called on to participate in the nationwide social elections to elect the members of the staff delegation in their companies and the members of the Chambre des salariés (CSL).
The next social elections will take place in March of this year, giving you the opportunity to elect those colleagues who will represent your interests for the next five years.
Both bodies, the staff delegation and the CSL, serve a vital function, especially in times, where the effective representation of employee interests is of immense importance. The changes in the airline industry – globalization, digitalization and the continued striving for liberalization – are factors that will continue to impact our profession and jobs, making it important that you, make use of your right to vote and participate in both elections.
Most pilots would certainly agree that our profession is a very special one and that due to its many unique aspects, our jobs differ in many ways from “conventional” nine-to-five jobs. To effectively represent the interests of the pilots in an airline a thorough understanding of the pilot profession in general and the job specific factors is required. Only pilots will ultimately be able to represent the interest of their fellow colleagues effectively. Unfortunately, history at Cargolux has shown what happens to our terms and conditions if individuals, who were either not pilots or were never elected by the pilots, claim to represent your interests. The outcome – unsustainable working conditions – is well known you.
What has happened in the past would most likely not have been possible with a staff delegation at Cargolux in place, that ensured that the interests of each employee group, including the pilots, was respected. This fact alone should be reason enough for you to participate in the elections.
While the election of the staff delegation certainly has a more direct impact on the individual working conditions of an employee, taking part in the election for the CSL is of important as well. The CSL is the forum for the employees to make their collective voice heard in legislative proceedings for amending or drafting laws, which affect the employees. Additionally, the number of votes a union receives determines, if this union is considered to be nationally representative. Only by achieving this nationally representative status can we guarantee that our partner union, the LCGB, will be able to negotiate and sign collective work agreements in the future. This partnership provides our association the freedom to represent the interests of its members.
Leading up to the elections in March, further information will be published including the first edition of Knowtam “Social Elections 2019”, list of candidates, how and where to cast your votes and how to make use of postal voting for the delegation election, a procedure you as pilot most likely have to rely on.
The message is clear and simple: Make your voice heard – Vote!
