Dummy's guide to Luxembourg's social elections

No sooner is one election over, another one begins. But, if you're scratching your head in bewilderment at what the social elections are all about, fear not, help is at hand.

Unlike the legislative elections, anyone working in Luxembourg's private sector or retired from working there, regardless of where they live or their nationality, can vote for people to represent them in the "Chambre des salariés" (CSL).

Key points for voting in Luxembourg's next social elections:

• Voters cast their ballots for up to 28 union members to represent them;

• you don't have to be a union member to vote;

• voting is anonymous;

• voting is not compulsory;

• you don't have to register to vote, you will automatically receive a ballot in the post;

• votes are cast by postal ballot;

• ballots must be received before November 13.

What will my vote change?

While voting is not compulsory, voting in social elections is your chance to influence politics - a factor which is important if, like many expats, you were not allowed to vote in the national elections.

The CSL's role is to safeguard the interests of Luxembourg's 430,000 private sector workers or retired employees.

Its 60 members take part in government consultations and give their opinions on new laws and on government bodies and factors affecting your purchasing power, so who you vote for will have a direct impact on Luxembourg's future.

If you are working or worked in Luxembourg, you automatically pay an annual fee to fund the CSL's activities out of your wages or pension.

If that's not enough to convince you to vote, then it's useful to remember that non-Luxembourg nationals could have a substantial influence since they represent nearly three quarters (73 percent) of the CSL's potential voters.

Voting in your group

Depending on the sector you work or worked in, you will be assigned to one of 9 groups in Luxembourg. The CSL uses a system of proportional representation, so the number of employees each group represents determines the number of seats it occupies and subsequently the number of votes you are allowed to cast. The largest group is number 5, services, which has 14 seats and the smallest is group 8, railways with 3 seats.

Because of this system, you may be asked to vote for up to 28 representatives depending on your assigned group.

How do I know who to vote for?

Candidates come from nine unions, some of which specialise in certain sectors. The best way to find out what they stand for is by reading their campaign material, which you may have received in the post or by visiting their websites.

The last social elections

Social elections occur every five years. The last elections in 2008 saw the OGBL win the majority of seats (36), followed by the LCGB (16), ALEBA (5), FNCTTFEL (2) and Syprolux (1). Voter turnout was 35 percent in total with less than a quarter of non-nationals participating.

For more information in English, visit www.elections.csl.lu

Alternatively, take the social elections quiz by visiting www.asti.lu