This is the second in a series of articles about the upcoming social elections, providing you with information about the election of the staff delegation.
These elections will be important for you, as the outcome will directly impact your future working conditions, as the result of the delegation election will have a direct impact on the ongoing CWA negotiations!
The Delegation
The staff delegation is the legal body that represents the employees within a company. By law the delegation has to be informed and consulted on issues related to the working conditions of the staff with the intention to improve the working conditions and work safety, to improve on the job training and professional development opportunities and to seek improvements of work-life balance for all staff members, ground staff and pilots alike.
Additionally, to these tasks the result of the most recent delegation election plays an important role in CWA negotiations.
CWA Negotiations
While not being directly involved in the negotiations for a collective work agreement (CWA), the results of the delegation election are used to determine, if a union could sign a CWA alone, even against the will of any other group taking part in the negotiations.
The signing of the 2015 CWA has shown what happens to your terms and conditions if individuals, who were either not pilots or were never elected by the pilots, claim to represent your interests in CWA negotiations. The outcome – unsustainable working conditions – is well known to you.
As the result of the delegation election of 2013 had been contested, the previous delegation, elected in 2011, was kept in power until early 2017, when the highest administrative court issued a final ruling that the result of the 2013 election is indeed valid. As the seat distribution in the delegation elected in 2011 was different, the labour minister indicated that he would accept the signing of the present CWA in December 2015 against the clearly expressed will of your representatives. The outcome is well known, the present CWA.
What has happened in in the CWA negotiations in 2015 would most likely not have been possible with the staff delegation elected in 2013, that would have ensured that the interests of each employee group, including the pilots, were respected in the present CWA. You would not be exposed to unsustainable flight time limitations and most likely new colleagues would not have been employed under significantly different working conditions and compensation below what is needed in a high cost environment like Luxembourg.
The outcome of the CWA negotiations in 2015 should be reason enough for you to participate in the delegation election. Your participation in this election will be essential. Only if you will cast your votes it will be possible to prevent that a future CWA could again be enforced upon us, like the one signed in 2015.
In the next email we will provide more details about the election itself, how you can cast your votes and most important about the postal voting procedure.
The message is clear: Make your voice heard and VOTE!
Each vote will count and will make a difference. This delegation election will be important for you. If you want to see a change in your working conditions, it will be essential that you vote!
Please also take note of the Knowtam “Social Elections 2019”, the FAQ, the information previously published and all future publications.
More information about the delegation election will be provided soon, including details how to request postal voting, how to cast your votes by postal voting and your candidates. Please stay tuned and remember:
Make your voice heard – Vote!
