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National Initiatives Concerning Human Resources Development by Social Partners - Luxembourg
Source: European Industrial Relations Observatory and European Union
Collective Agreement on Building Sector Training Institute
In September 2002, the forthcoming establishment of a training institute for the Luxembourg building industry was announced. The creation of the new body was provided for by a collective agreement signed in 2000. The institute, which will offer skills training at four levels, will be funded by a mandatory annual levy of 0.65% of total paybill on the enterprises in the sector.
It was announced in September 2002 that a new training institute for the building industry is to be set up in the near future. This initiative results from the sectoral collective agreement concluded in June 2000. The deal was concluded following talks at the National Conciliation Office (Office National de Conciliation, ONC), after negotiations had broken down. The signatories were the trade union bargaining commission for the building sector (which covers construction and allied trades, and a total of over 30,000 workers) - in which the Luxembourg Confederation of Independent Trade Unions (Onofhängege Gewerkschafts-Bond Lëtzebuerg, OGB-L) is the majority trade union - and the industry's employers' organisations. Alongside provisions on working time and pay, the agreement provided for establishment of an institute designed to provide opportunities for workers to acquire additional training;
When the 2000 collective agreement was signed, it was not clear how seriously the idea of setting up an institute to enable workers to undergo further training would be taken. However, a broad-based project ensued, involving both the definition of a general training policy and the creation a training establishment.
On 21 September 2002, the Federation of Construction and Civil Engineering Employers (Fédération des entreprises de construction et de génie civil) and the Building and Public Works Employers’ Group (Groupement des entrepreneurs du bâtiment et des travaux publics) announced the establishment of a new body called the Building Sector Training Institute (Institut de formation sectoriel du bâtiment, IFSB), to be situated in Le Krakelshaff, Bettembourg, 10 kilometres from the city of Luxembourg. The aim of this centre will be to deliver training and measures offering skills development to enterprises and employees.
This new body will be run by the Federation of Construction and Civil Engineering Employers, in association with various other organisations and the OGB-L and the Luxembourg Confederation of Christian Trade Unions (Lëtzebuerger Chrëschtleche Gewerkschafts-Bond, LCGB). It will operate in partnership with the Federation of Luxembourg Industrialists (Fédération des Industriels luxembourgeois, FEDIL), the Chamber of Private Sector White-Collar Staff (Chambre des employés privés, CEP) the Chamber of Commerce (Chambre du Commerce) the Chamber of Labour (Chambre du Travail), the Ministries of Vocational Training, Employment and Labour, and the Economy, and the Bettembourg local authority.
The IFSB will be managed by an association whose board of directors will be made up of representatives of each participating body. It will be funded by a mandatory annual levy of 0.65% on the total paybill of enterprises in the sector.
The objective of the new institute will be to overcome the shortage of skilled labour in the building industry, and address the inappropriateness of the training currently available. The building sector makes extensive use of foreign labour, particularly Portuguese nationals, who do not always have the skills that employers require. The president of the Federation of Construction and Civil Engineering Employers has stated that 'for several years, all economic actors have acknowledged the importance of adapting their employees’ skills to ever-increasing demands, and we must keep abreast of the latest developments.'
The IFSB will have to respond to the challenges facing construction, a sector with some 400 enterprises employing 12,000 workers, and producing 7% of Luxemburg’s GDP. The new institute will seek to 'systematise' and 'professionalise' the industry, by offering basic training to new recruits, induction courses, specialist courses in a range of trades, and a separate level of training for specialists and senior company executives. The institute's educational objectives include the provision of courses that meet the requirements of the industry's collective agreement and the needs of the construction sector.
The director of the new body has said that the IFSB will be a key partner in the building sector ( 'a construction services centre' ), and that it will also host conferences and seminars, and put out information through publications, reports and a magazine.
Framework of Actions for the Lifelong Development of Competencies and Qualifications
In March 2002, the European social partners adopted a framework of actions for the lifelong development of competences and qualifications, as a contribution to the implementation of the Lisbon strategy.
In Luxembourg there is a long tradition of cooperation between public authorities and social partners with a view to adapting the structures linked to continuing vocational training and to developing joint actions. It is given concrete form at the level of a tripartite vocational training advisory committee put in place to advise the government. Each year, the opinions of this committee constitute the basis for the part of the national action plan for employment devoted to training.
Actions taken at national level
Employers
Trade unions
With a concern to promote continuing vocational training, on 2 May 2003 the social partners signed an agreement on individual access to continuing vocational training. The cross-industry agreement has three sections.
Companies and sectors or economic branches can now draw inspiration from the clauses of this agreement for putting in place arrangements for adjustable timetables and unpaid leave. These provisions will become effective on adoption of the draft law on reform of collective agreements, which will allow the government to declare that cross-industry agreements are generally applicable. In the case of individual training leave and the adjustments to tax and social security legislation to which it gives rise, the social partners will leave it to the discretion of the legislator to transpose the clauses into positive legislation.
In addition, employer organisations organise courses and conferences, inter alia, on staff delegations and secondment of workers as well as courses in the Luxembourg language.
The two trade unions which are representative at national level organise training courses for staff delegates as well as their members through their training centre IFES (Institut de formation économique et sociale - institute for economic and social training).
Actions taken at sectoral level
Employers
Trade unions
Continuing vocational training courses are provided by the professional employee chambers, the Chamber of Labour and the Chamber of Private Employees, as well as by specialist institutes.
Joint actions
Continuing vocational training courses are provided by Chambres professionnelles patronales et salariales (employer and employee professional chambers) as well as by trade organisations through their specialised institutes such as Institut de Forma ion Bancaire de Luxembourg (banking training instutute) and Institut de Formation Sectoriel du Bâtiment (IFSB) (training institute of the construction sector). Created in 2002 by the construction and public works sector, IFSB has put in place the first training courses, notably for integration of the unemployed, and has continued to develop its programme. In addition, the social partners in the health sector have put in place and jointly finance a continuing vocational training centre (CFPC Dr R. Widong).
In 2001, Union Luxembourgeoise des Entreprises de Travail Intérimaire (ULEDI) (union of temporary work companies) agreed a reinforcement of training efforts when the sectoral collective agreement was renewed. Accordingly, in close cooperation with Institut de Formation de la Chambre de Commerce (chambers of commerce training institute), training has been put in place for permanent employees of temporary work agencies and a first cycle of training was provided during 2003. Its programme takes account of the specific features of the sector and also relates to labour law, social security and relations with the administrative departments directly concerned by temporary work.
Actions taken at company level
In a number of companies, the social partners have negotiated agreements governing their employees’ access to training measures. The details of these agreements are incorporated in the respective collective labour agreements.
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