Cargolux Board

The initial result of the election has confirmed that pilots will hold 8 out of 16 seats in the Delegation.

The results communicated by the electoral office are as follows:

Your elected representatives are (8 effective Delegates and 8 substitute Delegates):

We would like to take the opportunity and thank all of you for casting your votes! It is encouraging for us to see how many of you went the extra mile to make sure that your ballot will be returned in time to be counted. The interest you showed and the support you gave us during the past weeks is certainly encouraging for us as your representatives. But most important is, that this result demonstrates once more, what we as a group can achieve when standing together.

The ALPL Board would like to take this opportunity and thank those colleagues who stepped forward and made themselves available as candidates.

The results of the election are not final yet, as the they can be contested until April 1^st, 2019. We will keep you advised about any future developments and will publish more information in the coming weeks.

Your voice will be heard!

Your ALPL Board fully understands the frustration of our members about the restrictions for leisure travel on board of our company aircrafts.

Although the issue was already discussed with management, shortly after they  informed us about this pending step, a short-term solution was not possible due to the official involvement of the DAC and their binding decision.

Just to make it clear from the regulatory point of view: the DAC, like any other authority, can place restrictions on any operator under its oversight. Regarding the transport of persons on board of aircraft carrying CAO, there seems to be a wide range how this is handled: ranging from a complete ban, which goes even beyond what the DAC placed on Cargolux, to a less restrictive approach, which we used to have.

Before engaging now in further discussions with the DAC and to continue discussions with management about an acceptable solution, reliable facts need to be collected and analysed. Simply acting on unverified statements if other operators are allowed to take passengers on their aircrafts without restrictions by their respective authority, is not a suitable approach to this topic. Like always, gathering of reliable facts and negotiating with the involved parties requires a lot of time and effort from our side and therefore cannot be done overnight.

Rest assured, we will address this important topic and keep you informed about any developments.

This short video clip explains how to mark the ballot and how to return your ballot in case you make use of postal voting for the Delegation Election on March 12th.

Click on the picture below to watch this video. If you feel it would be beneficial, you may also forward the link to the clip.

Should you have any question or concerns regarding postal voting, how to cast your votes, mark the ballot or return it, we urge you to  get in touch with us immediately at elections@alpl.lu or call our 24/7 hotline at +352 621 494 746.

Soon you should either receive your ballot for the Delegation Election by mail or you may pick up your ballot at Human Resources. With approximately 500 pilots of the 1.500 eligible voters it will be important, that you do whatever will be needed to make sure that you mark your ballot in time and moreover make sure that it will get back to Human Resources before the electoral office will close on March 12th. The result of the election in 2013 shows, that achieving a good result is possible, but this will require you going the extra mile.

In order to make sure, that your ballot will be received by March 12th, we ask you to strictly follow the recommendations and guidelines you have already received and the additional tailored recommendations we will provide via different channels, e.g. by postal mail sent to your home address. It will be important, that you mail back your ballot immediately after you have received it.

Important:
Regardless, if you did request to have your ballot sent to your home address or any other address, you may consider the following as of February 27th:

If you return from or leave on a rotation between 07.30 and 18.00 local time, Monday to Friday, you may go to Human Resources to cast your votes there. This is possible, even if your ballot has already been sent, as your roster may have changed or could be changed in a way, which would prevent you from returning your ballot before the electoral office will close on March 12th. By doing so you can guarantee that your votes will be counted. Additionally, the ALPL Office staff is available to assist you in mailing back your ballot. The ALPL Office will be open 24/7 between February 28th 09.00 and March 12th 18.00 local time, including Saturdays and Sundays.

Should you experience any problems please get in touch with us immediately at +352 621 494 746.

Click on the graphic below or here for a high-resolution flyer, showing how to cast your votes correctly and how to handle your ballot. A short video clip showing the same is available here.

We are pleased to report that on 14 February 2019 the first meeting at the Office National de Conciliation (ONC) took place.

After both parties presented their case, the ONC has acknowledged the impasse between the Unions and management. The ONC is now officially involved. What this means in practical terms is that both parties will schedule further negotiation meetings and to keep the ONC informed of the progress. The law foresees a minimum of 16 weeks of dialogue before either party could request a “non-conciliation”.

Perhaps management will from this point forward put all the required resources and effort into finding an agreeable solution for all issues and to achieve true social sustainability.

This is the second in a series of articles providing you with information about the election of 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 Election
Due to the increased number of employees, the next delegation at Cargolux will consist of 16 delegates and 16 substitute delegates, giving you a total of 32 votes to be casted in the upcoming delegation election.

Like, in the past we are pleased to announce that we will be able to present a list of 32 pilots as candidates on the LCGB list. This list will consist of experienced delegates and many new colleagues who are willing to represent your interest in the next five years. It is encouraging to see that some of our colleagues who joined Cargolux under the terms of what is often referred to as “B-Scale” are candidates. The list will be published in the near future.

Who should you vote?
Your ALPL Board strongly recommends that you cast all your 32 votes for the LCGB list as this is the most effective way to cast all your votes. This will also avoid that important votes are lost by not making use of all your 32 and helps to avoid errors when marking the ballot. Please follow this link to learn how to mark the ballot to avoid errors and that your votes will be void.

History has shown that each vote counts! The result of 2013, with more than 48% for the LCGB list, was excellent and made only possible by our members going the extra mile to cast their votes.

The outcome of the election will have a direct impact on the ongoing CWA negotiations, as the result of the election will be taken as an indicator how much the pilots want to see significant improvements in their terms and conditions. Only if we as pilots show unity and vote this will send a strong signal that changes in our working conditions are essential. We will certainly not act against any other employee group, as we know how this would affect the terms and conditions of our colleagues. However, the best option is to take our future in our own hands and not being dependent on anyone, who is not aware about the very specific needs of our profession.

How do I vote?
The delegation election will take place on March 12th, 2019. Due to the fact that changing schedules make it impossible for you to know if you will be able to vote in the electoral office in Luxembourg, as pilot you are entitled to cast your votes by postal voting. You can cast your votes by postal voting regardless if you would be on off, vacation, rest days or rest before off days, or away on a rotation, on standby or on reserve on election day. You are also entitled to cast your votes by postal voting if you would be on additional off- time due to your part-time contract. Simply put, as pilot you are permitted to vote by postal voting in any case!

The ALPL Board highly recommends that you register for postal voting. Details on how to register for postal voting, the different options how you may receive and return your ballot before the electoral office closes on March 12th, will be published soon. We kindly ask you to wait until this information and the additional information your ALPL board will provide, has been published to register for postal voting. This is expected for February 18th.

The message is clear: Make your voice heard and VOTE!

Each vote will count and will make a difference. This delegation 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 additional information available on here in the section Social Elections 2019, the information previously published and all future publications.

More information about how to request postal voting, how to receive and return your ballot, how to cast your votes by postal voting and your candidates will be published soon. Please stay tuned and remember:

Make your voice heard – Vote!

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!