No solution found over cargo strike
Talks between Swiss Federal Railways and the unions aimed at trying to end a strike by workers at the company's cargo division have ended without resolution.
The two sides were unable to reach an agreement at a meeting in the Biasca in the southern canton of Ticino which went on into late Saturday evening.
The federal railways have announced more than 400 job cuts at its cargo unit, which prompted a public outcry particularly in the Ticino region.
Workers at a maintenance depot in the town of Bellinzona have been on strike for more than a week.
Federal railways boss Andreas Meyer said that the exchange had been intensive but that the strike was illegal and must be ended before a solution could be found. The company has proposed negotiating for two months to find an alternative to the cutbacks.
The unions have said that the strike will continue until Monday when the workers will discuss the proposal.
Parliament is due to debate the crisis next week. The government has also called on both sides to resolve the conflict peacefully.
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