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Swiss Trade Union warns EU deal could threaten wages

Switzerland-EU agreement: the USS formulates new demands
Switzerland-EU agreement: the USS formulates new demands Keystone-SDA

The Swiss Trade Union Federation (SGB) warns that the new bilateral agreement between Switzerland and the European Union (EU) could threaten wage protection and public services.

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In a resolution passed on Friday, the SGB called for a range of new measures to address these concerns.

The union criticised the negotiated agreement, pointing out that the deposit companies are required to pay has almost vanished. Following an extraordinary delegates’ meeting, the SGB warned that collecting fines abroad will now be much harder, if not impossible.

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The “European regulation of costs” is a major concern, as it would require foreign companies to cover accommodation and meal expenses in Switzerland based on their home country rates. The SGB also criticises the liberalisation of the electricity market and the opening up of international rail passenger transport.

The SGB’s proposed measures aim to ensure fair wages, speed up the processing of posted worker notifications, reimburse workers for expenses incurred in Switzerland, improve conditions in the temporary employment sector and offer better protection against dismissal for employees who advocate for their colleagues’ rights.

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Translated from French with DeepL/sp

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