A remarkable victory for Amazon workers in Luxembourg

In the social elections held last week, The Onofhängege Gewerkschaftsbond Lëtzebuerg (OGBL), Luxembourg’s largest trade union and UNI member, managed to win 22.72 per cent of the votes from employees at Amazon Luxembourg. During social elections, held every 5 years, workers vote to elect the members of the staff delegation in their company. This was the first time the OGBL has put up candidates at the company. 

The OGBL now has five seats on the 22-strong staff delegation. As OGBL Deputy Central Secretary Isabel Scott told Luxembourg Times last Thursday, “it was a leap of faith for the candidates who ran with us.” Before the elections, Scott had spent some time building a relationship with Amazon employees, some of whom were already members of the OGBL. With around 4,500 employees, Amazon is Luxembourg’s second-largest private employer. Last year, Amazon announced the biggest layoffs in its history with over 18,000 job cuts, which affected employees in Luxembourg too.

The LCGB union, which was also putting up candidates for the first time at Amazon, polled 4.54 per cent, receiving one delegate.

In past years, the OGBL participated in the global Make Amazon Pay campaign, co-convened by UNI Global Union, and organised Black Friday protests outside the company’s Luxembourg headquarters.

UNI Europa Regional Secretary Oliver Roethig said: “We congratulate OGBL on their remarkable victory at Amazon Luxembourg. This triumph underscores the importance of workers’ solidarity and collective action in achieving fair labour practices. Unions make a difference and UNI Europa stands in solidarity with OGBL and all workers striving for better working conditions and rights.”