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ALEBA INFO
January 2015
NEWSLETTER OF THE LARGEST UNION FOR FINANCE SECTOR PROFESSIONALS IN THIS EDITION
New format at last! As
announced in the
November 2014 edition,
ALEBA Info is moving from
its traditional paper format
to a new digital version
that is more user-friendly
and better for the
environment. Unlike in the
past, your magazine will now only be available
on our website at www.aleba.lu.
Its content has also changed. The four-page
newsletter will of course contain not only the
latest national union news, but also stories from
the field and information on measures initiated
by your 750 ALEBA delegates at companies in
which we have a presence. Also, do not hesitate
to let us know about the initiatives taken by
your local ALEBA branch.
Every edition will also include a practical guide
put together by the editorial team, providing a
concise summary of information about a certain
topic. This first edition of 2015 deals with sick
leave, something we may all have to deal with at
some point.
This ALEBA Info is the initial product of intense
reflection on ALEBA’s visual identity and
methods of communication. Other changes will
follow in the coming weeks, so keep an eye out!
As you know, Roberto Scolati has been the new
president of ALEBA since 15 October. At the
New Year party, Roberto extended his best
wishes to the many delegates and members
present. He also gave a review of the past year.
And 2014 was filled with major events! For
example, in May ALEBA was the first union to
sign the new Collective Employment Agreement
for bank employees. A bit later, in June, study
grants were finally awarded to students whose
parents are cross-border workers: a wonderful
outcome for all our members, on whose behalf
we systematically lodged appeals free of
charge.
Every member of ALEBA’s new management
team is contributing their determination, energy
and ideas. “All these ingredients will help the
ALEBA to advance by leaps and bounds,”
emphasised Roberto Scolati. In his speech, he
also informed those assembled about the work
initiated by the “Cross-Border”, “Finance”,
“Communication” and “Organisation”
committees. Following up on this, the editorial
team is devoting an article in this month's
edition to the "Cross-Border" committee,
outlining its objectives and activities.
In 2015, ALEBA will continue to keep a close eye
on what the political and social actors are up to,
and firmly defend the interests of employees in
the financial sector. But, above all, we will
continue to be at your side, stronger than ever.
That is our mission!
ALEBA in Cape Town with UNI In December 2014, Luxembourg’s largest financial
sector union took part in the UNI Global Union World
Congress in Cape Town (South Africa).
Page 2
Sick leave: what to do Are you on sick leave and wondering whether you will
continue to receive your salary? When should you send
in your medical certificate? This edition of ALEBA Info
includes the answers to all your questions.
Page 3
A new “ALEBA INFO” by the Editorial Team
ALEBA INFO | JANUARY 2015 2
It is not a coincidence that UNI Global Union
decided to hold its 4th World Congress in Cape
Town, South Africa, from 7 to 10 December
2014: this gave participants the opportunity to
join the people of South African in celebrating
the 20th
anniversary of the breakthrough of
democracy in their country and the end of
apartheid. A heartfelt tribute was also paid to
Nelson Mandela, on the first anniversary of his
death.
ALEBA, which has been a member of UNI for
many years, also made the trip. Roberto Scolati,
President, and Gilles Steichen, Vice-President,
were there to represent your union. On Sunday
7 December, more than 2,000 union members
representing 420 unions from 108 countries met
in Cape Town for the official opening of the
congress. It should be noted that UNI is an
international union with more than 20 million
members across its 900 member unions. UNI is
organised on a regional level (UNI Europa,
Africa, etc.), as well as into sectors (Commerce,
Finance, etc.) and groups (Equal Opportunities,
Youth, etc.).
The Cape Town congress — the biggest union
meeting ever held on the African continent —
had chosen as its slogan “Ubuntu”, which means
“Together” or “Including You!” in Xhosa. With
this symbolic choice of words, UNI intended to
denounce economic exclusion
and income inequality, but also give a call to
action. As Philip Jennings, General Secretary of
UNI Global Union, said: “the world needs a pay
rise”. He then invited participants to “discuss
how to make this happen, while combating social
exclusion and income inequality”.
Within this context, several motions were
presented to participants before being
amended, where appropriate, and finally
adopted. One of these motions, the issue of
contributions to UNI for the next three years,
was also discussed and particularly held the
interest of your ALEBA representatives, who
ultimately came down against the proposed
increase in contributions. Along with other
union representatives, Roberto Scolati and
Gilles Steichen asked for this matter to be
discussed again. This will happen soon at a
special meeting in Brussels with the leaders of
UNI Europe.
Many conferences and discussions were held
(concerning the African economy and labour
market, for example), along with numerous,
highly rewarding exchanges with union
members from all over the world. These
members had the opportunity to share not only
problems, but also union victories in their home
countries or business sectors, as well as
exchange best practice procedures, while also
becoming aware of the — at times very difficult
— actual situation
facing certain union organisations. At ALEBA,
we believe that these meetings are essential for
broadening our world view and improving our
union expertise. The fourth day of the congress,
which was more formal, was devoted to the
statutory elections: Philip Jennings was re-
elected as the General Secretary of UNI Global
Union, while Ann Selin, from Finland, was
elected President.
It should also be pointed out that this congress
was covered by more than 200 regional,
national and international press organisations
(TV, radio and written press combined),
including CNN and CNBC. It was also a
resounding digital success, with thousands of
tweets using the hashtag #UNI2014, and more
than 1,000 messages retweeted from UNI’s
account.
The 5th
World Congress, to be held in Liverpool
in 2018, is already set in our diary!
In October 2014, ALEBA set up a new
committee for dealing with matters pertaining
specifically to cross-border workers, of which
149,200 currently work in Luxembourg,
representing more than 45% of the country's
salaried employment.
This committee is currently made up of Patrice
Collin (coordinator), Salvatore Celano (member
of the executive committee), Roberto Mendolia
(member of the executive committee) and
Michaël Federici (head of the department for
legal and social matters). Its goal is to provide
services and accurate documentation aimed
specifically at the problems encountered by
cross-border employees.
This concerns, among other issues, the future
of bilateral agreements between the countries
bordering Luxembourg, the declaration of
income, the taxation of assignments abroad
and teleworking (major problem within the
framework of the upcoming exchange of
information), voluntary or compulsory
retirement or amendments to laws that directly
impact the situation of cross-border workers.
Sessions on specific topics with the
participation of experts are also being
organised. In addition, our website
www.aleba.lu will soon include a “Cross-Border
Workers” tab with pertinent documentation.
Please contact Patrice Collin if you have any
questions on issues regarding cross-border
workers, preferably by email to [email protected],
or by phone on 47 93 11 259 or 47 93 11 3705.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
www.uniglobalunion.org/
Cross-border workers have their own committee By Patrice Collin, member of the executive committee
Together with UNI Global Union by Roberto Scolati, President of the ALEBA
ALEBA INFO | JANUARY 2015 3
GOOD TO KNOW
Where should I send my certificate? If you go on sick leave, you must send your medical
certificate without putting a stamp on your
envelope (in Luxembourg) to the following address:
CNS, Département des Indemnités Pécuniaires, L-
2979 Luxembourg. Always state your (13-digit)
social security number on your certificate!
Can my employer fire me?
No, if you have sent your medical certificate to your employer on time, you are protected from dismissal
for the first 26 consecutive weeks of illness.
KEY FIGURES
3.66% Percentage of employees absent owing to
illness in the banking sector in the first half of 2014 (Source: Observatoire de l’absentéisme)
2.62% Rate of absenteeism in the banking sector
in the first half of 2014 (Source: Observatoire de
l’absentéisme)
WHAT DOES THE CNS DO?
The CNS manages health/maternity and care
insurance for all employees in the private and
public sectors. (www.cns.lu)
In this section, we give useful, specific
information on issues which any one
of us may be faced with at some point.
This month we are discussing sick
leave.
1/ I am ill: what should I do?
A medical certificate is not required for
being absent from work for one or two
days.
From the third day of absence, you are
obliged to provide your employer and
the National Health Fund (Caisse
Nationale de Santé - CNS) with a
medical certificate confirming your incapacity
to work. Written proof must be available to the
employer by the third day of absence. One
section must be sent to the CNS, another to
your employer, and the third one is for you to
keep. It is important to respect this legal
deadline of three days, otherwise you run the
risk of being dismissed for gross misconduct.
In the event of emergency hospitalisation,
however, the medical certificate may be given
to the employer within eight days of
hospitalisation.
In all cases, the employer must be informed
on the same day of your inability to work. For
peace of mind, you can even send your
certificate by registered letter with
acknowledgement of receipt.
2/ Can I go out if I’m ill?
You are not allowed to leave your home for
the first five days of your sick leave, regardless
of your doctor's opinion of your health. After
these five days, you may leave your home, but
only between 10:00 and 12:00 and from 14:00
to 18:00.
Essential outings for treatment or diagnosis in
connection with your illness, or related to
summons by the Medical Board of the Ministry
for Social Security are authorised, but you must
be able to justify them if requested by an
inspector. All other outings outside these times
must be authorised in advance by the CNS.
3/ Can someone come to check on me?
The CNS may perform a check outside the
periods during which you may leave your home
as of your first day of sick leave, either on its
own initiative or at your employer's request.
Checks may be performed in cases where you
are meant to remain at home and do not have
permission to go out.
A CNS inspector will then visit your home,
although this inspection may also be performed
on public premises. If you are absent at the
time of the inspection, you will find a form to be
completed in your letter box. You must then
justify the reason for your absence in writing
and send it within two days of the inspection
(with the postmark serving as proof of date).
The management committee of CNS will then
decide on a fine, where applicable.
4/Who pays me?
Your employer pays you up to the 77th
day of
your absence. The employers’ mutual insurance
scheme, to which your employer pays
contributions, then reimburses 80% of the paid
salary to your employer.
In short, the CNS takes over after the 77th
day.
You are entitled to receive your salary and
other benefits stated in your employment
contract in full until the end of the month in
which the 77th
day of your sick leave occurs.
For the period covered by the CNS (from the
78th
day onwards), your salary corresponds to
the basic remuneration (plus any additional and
incidental income) on the condition that this is
payable monthly in cash (the allowance for
your company vehicle is therefore excluded, for
example).
See next month's edition for our practical
guide on issues related to ending the working
relationship.
4 questions concerning sick leave by Michaël Federici, head of ALEBA's department for legal and social matters
ALEBA INFO | JANUARY 2015 4
ALEBA pays tribute to the
victims of the attack on
"Charlie Hebdo"
ALEBA paid tribute to the victims of the attack
on 7 January 2015 on the editorial team of the
newspaper “Charlie Hebdo”, by joining the rally
organised by the Press Council in Place de
Clairefontaine on Thursday 8 January. More
than a thousand people turned out.
A few days later on 11 January, the President of
ALEBA, Roberto Scolati, also took part in the
people’s march in Luxembourg City, along with
members of civil society and HRH Grand
Duchess Maria Teresa.
New working hours at KBL
and KTL The Personnel Delegation of KBL and KTL sent
Management a proposal to introduce flexible
working hours between 07:00 and 19:00, with
arrival at work possible until 10:30 and
departure allowed from 15:30.
Initiated by the ALEBA branch, this proposal
aimed to simplify flexible working hours and
avoid one-off dispensations, as well as — and
above all — give everyone the opportunity to
manage their time more efficiently by taking
the constraints of real life (traffic, school runs,
etc.) into account. ALEBA firmly defends
measures aimed at improving well-being at
work. Management agreed and these new
times were introduced on 1 January 2015.
A new CBA under
negotiation for the
insurance sector
The Collective Bargaining Agreement for
employees of the insurance sector was
terminated in December 2014, jointly by the
unions and the Association of Insurance and
Reinsurance Companies (Association des
Compagnies d’Assurances et de Réassurance -
ACA).
At the first negotiation meeting of 16
December 2014, ACA representatives outlined
their view of the situation in the sector, which,
according to ACA, is facing considerable
challenges: rise in the VAT rate,
implementation of Solvency II rules, etc.
ALEBA’s negotiators, Jim Schneider (Foyer
Assurances) and Roland Christnach (Lalux),
members of the executive committee, recalled
that, in its last press release, the Luxembourg
Insurance Commission (Commissariat aux
Assurances) referred to a robust recovery of the
insurance market. Across all insurance
branches, premiums rose considerably
compared to 2013. A second negotiation
meeting has been set for the end of January, at
which ALEBA intends to vehemently defend
the social benefits of employees of the
insurance sector.
What is the “future
contribution” for our
children?
You will certainly have noticed an extra
deduction on your pay slip in January. This is
normal: it's the famous 0.5% contribution for
our children’s future. This contribution has
been changed into a tax (“impôt d'équilibrage
budgétaire temporaire” – “temporary budgetary
balancing tax”) and will from now on be
deducted directly from your salary until January
2017.
The methods for calculating this tax of 0.5% on
all professional income (applied to all items of
remuneration except extra pay for overtime,
without application of a minimum or a
maximum) tally with the methods for
calculating the former crisis contribution.
Thus, a reduction amounting to the entire
social minimum wage is applied to the tax base
of employees. In the case of the self-employed,
this base is reduced by an allowance of three-
quarters of the social minimum wage. The
allowance will be prorated to 173 hours
depending on the total number of hours (sum
of working hours and partial unemployment
hours), by considering the threshold of 150
hours per month as the maximum threshold.
And what about you?
This is your section. It reflects your activities in
the field, in your company. Share your ALEBA
branch's work with the Editorial Team and we
will put you in the next ALEBA Info (contact:
[email protected] or 22.32.28-1).
IN BRIEF
New social parameters A few days ago, the General Inspectorate of Social
Security published the new social parameters valid as of 1 January 2015. They are available in electronic format
on our website www.aleba.lu, under the heading
"Practical information".
CEA Cetrel: negotiations at a standstill The negotiations for the Collective Agreement at Cetrel
are not making any headway. Management would like
to introduce a performance system, which has been
categorically rejected by ALEBA. Several meetings between the parties have already been cancelled. The
next one will be held on 13 February.
ALEBA NEWSLETTER
29, AVENUE MONTEREY
L-2163 LUXEMBOURG
233 228 -1
WWW.ALEBA.LU
SYNDICAT ALEBA
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: ROBERTO SCOLATI
EDITOR: AUDE FORESTIER
Live on the spot by the Editorial Team
