On March 14th, the Minister of Foreign and European Affairs, Defense, Cooperation and Foreign Trade, Mr. Xavier Bettel, received representatives of the Joint European Secretariat of OGBL and LCGB (SECEC) for an exchange of views. The meeting also provided an opportunity for SECEC to present its activities and missions and to review current European issues.

The importance of the two confederations, through their joint European Secretariat, speaking with one voice and acting in concert in their political activities at European, regional and international levels was stressed. The need for European social dialogue as the cornerstone of a united social Europe, in line with the vision of Jacques Delors, was reaffirmed.

Likewise, the need for good communication between SECEC and the Ministry was highlighted in order to promote the exchange of relevant information. In particular, SECEC referred to the work of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the International Labor Organization (ILO) and the World Trade Organization (WTO). The most important thing is to be informed about the position of the Luxembourg government on the various issues and in turn to be able to share the position of the two trade union organizations.

Other recent European issues were also discussed, including the directive on improving working conditions for platform workers and the European regulation on artificial intelligence (AI). With regard to the Platform Directive, both sides underlined that it is not the business model per se that is criticized, but the fact that some workers are classified as “false self-employed” and therefore do not have adequate social security coverage. There is also the potential risk of job insecurity.

With regard to the European regulation on artificial intelligence, SECEC was also able to express its concerns about the use of artificial intelligence systems in the workplace and reiterate the importance of proper monitoring of these systems in the interest of workers.

The European Parliament elections, which will take place in June 2024, were also discussed. In this context, both parties agreed on the importance of social issues in these elections and their impact on the stability and cohesion of the EU.

SECEC press release March 15, 2024