Unions say free movement regulations too lax

Swiss unions want tougher regulations introduced to protect workers from the negative consequences of the free movement of people accord with the European Union.

On Friday the Swiss Trade Union Federation called on the government to set up a national task force, which would include union representatives, to fight wage dumping.

The Trade Union Federation also criticised the failure of the authorities to introduce a minimum salary.

The unions are demanding that companies hiring staff from the EU should be subject to more checks and balances to ensure they are following the law on free movement.

This comes despite claims by the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (Seco) that it had surpassed official requirements last year by investigating more than half of all EU citizens hired to work in Switzerland.

And the Trade Union Federation said the authorities must implement EU regulations to prevent multinational firms from choosing to lay off staff in Switzerland instead of other countries because it is easier.

At the beginning of May, a Seco report on 2010 said that 38 per cent of foreign companies which use foreign labour in Switzerland did not respect collective labour accords.