Cargolux announces 'repudiation' of collective work agreement

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It would have been nice to have started the new year without an immediate Cargolux story. But unfortunately, the permanently newsworthy airline has, of course, issues to discuss – and this particular one will likely trigger many stories in the coming year. Lack of agreement between management and unions means the current Collective Work Agreement, which expires in 11 months, has been rejected. While the existing conditions remain in force, the two sides must sign a new agreement by the end of the year. It looks set to be a difficult negotiation, with management trying to lower staff costs and increase productivity, and unions trying to protect workers’ rights, which are strong in Luxembourg. One Cargolux employee on an internet forum wrote: “Our profession is going down the drain…our management too is following this path and is … trying to bring our terms and conditions down as well as outsourcing our jobs to Cargolux Italia.”