A delegation from the Higher Education and Research Department of SEW/OGBL, the only union represented in this sector, recently met with the new Minister of Research and Higher Education to exchange views on the coalition agreement and the OGBL’s positions. The OGBL delegation, made up of secretaries in charge of negotiations and staff delegates from the University of Luxembourg and the public research centers, focused on issues related to the working conditions and salaries of staff in the sector.

In particular, one crucial issue is no longer included in the coalition agreement of the new government: the fight against researchers’ job insecurity. Concerned by this setback, the OGBL questions the government’s willingness to do all it can to support the academic and research professions. The OGBL fears that the attractiveness of research in Luxembourg will be increasingly reduced. Despite the OGBL’s hard work, which has led to collective agreements covering almost all public higher education and research staff, the union points out that these agreements do not close the wage gap with the civil service or even with staff in hospitals, whose pay scales in the respective collective agreements (FHL and SAS) are parallel to those of the civil service.

The room to manoeuvre in the different collective agreements in the higher education and research sector is becoming increasingly limited, as the state’s allocation does not keep pace with inflation. In this context, the ministry’s representatives stressed the government’s determination to maintain a high level of investment in the sector, while pointing out that Luxembourg remains a very attractive country for international workers, including researchers. They did not exclude the possibility of an upward revision of the budget allocated in the next multi-annual agreements.

Nevertheless, the OGBL points out that international researchers face a major problem of job insecurity, given the still very high proportion of fixed-term contracts, often without the prospect of a permanent contract, and the exorbitant cost of housing in Luxembourg. The union urges the ministry to take these factors into account to combat these growing phenomena.

The OGBL also had the opportunity to present to the Minister its worrying observations from the field regarding the increasing workload and performance pressures faced by teaching staff, researchers and support staff. The ministry representatives expressed their willingness to review the performance contract indicators, with an emphasis on the sustainable socio-economic impact of research, and not just on the number of publications or patents filed. The OGBL, while welcoming the Ministry’s position, also reiterated during this exchange that the staff delegations should be consulted by the institutes’ managements prior to the negotiation of the multi-annual agreement with the ministry, since these indicators have a direct impact on the working conditions of the staff.

Furthermore, the OGBL raised the issue of the development of infrastructure, and in particular the absence of any reference in the coalition agreement regarding the consolidation of the LIH into one single building. The ministry representatives stated that this project is still underway and should be completed by 2030.

During the meeting, a number of other important issues were raised, namely the continuing restrictions on access to telework – with the new European framework agreement not being applied in the sector – the question of the status of researchers without a doctorate at the university (R&D specialists), the impact of artificial intelligence on working conditions, and the adjustment of the remuneration of temporary university staff, which has not been adjusted to inflation for more than 10 years.

The meeting was characterized by open dialogue. The OGBL now looks forward to the implementation of the various options raised, which we hope will meet the expectations and needs of staff in the sector.

Press release from the SEW/OGBL Higher Education and Research Department,
February 12, 2024