Swiss trade unions demand hard line with EU over wages
The Swiss Trade Union Federation has condemned both the European Union and Swiss companies for trying to force down workers’ wages.
On Friday the trade union body put forward a series of demands with Switzerland and the EU still locked in talks over the future of political and economic relations.
The federation said the current talks are heading in the wrong direction for the future of Swiss workers and the public sector.
Union leaders expressed anger at a European Commission demand that EU companies with offices in Switzerland stop paying their employees Swiss salary rates.
Trade Union Federation chief economist Daniel Lampart finds this “anti-worker attitude…incomprehensible” as it would cost EU workers in Switzerland up to CHF1,000 per month in reduced earnings.
Lampart also accused Swiss employers who are involved in EU negotiations of encouraging a deterioration of wages by doing nothing to block the EU’s machinations.
“This creeping erosion of wage protection must be stopped,” Lampart said.
The Trade Union Federation is also opposed to the proposed full merger of the Swiss and EU electricity market and the opening of the public transport sector.
This would threaten crucial public sector services in Switzerland, Lampart said.
In compliance with the JTI standards
More: SWI swissinfo.ch certified by the Journalism Trust Initiative
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here. Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.