Trade union dissidents slam leadership
The Swiss construction industry trade union isn't doing enough to defend its members' interests, according to dissident members of the body. Three months ahead of the union's congress, they have gone on the offensive.
Over 40 branch secretaries from the union have sent an open letter to the leadership, accusing it of being too closely tied to construction employers and middle class politicians. They say that the union has failed to stop job losses of 20 per cent in the industry.
A long-standing salary conflict in the construction industry, in a country where strikes are extremely rare, was resolved in March, after equally rare government intervention. However, during the dispute a rift arose in the union itself between those who were ready to compromise with the employers and those who were not.
The hard-liners argued that a pay settlement should take into account the purchasing power lost after the industry went into crisis in the early 1990s. The value of a construction worker’s pay packet has dropped by up to 10 per cent, but the deal agreed in March raised wages by 4.5 per cent.
Complaints against the leadership first arose in French-speaking Switzerland, where the industry has been less buoyant. But the internal protests have now spread, with half those signing the open letter coming from the German- and Italian-speaking regions.
The union’s president, Vasco Pedrina, plans to stand for re-election for a third term in October. The dissidents have threatened to put up their own candidates if he fails to take their complaints seriously.
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