Swiss construction workers vote to strike over work hours dispute
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Swiss construction workers vote to strike over work hours dispute
More than 20,000 Swiss construction workers have voted in favour of strike action, two labour unions, Unia and Syna, said on Thursday. While a new national agreement is being discussed, the question of working hours remains as divisive as ever.
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“Construction workers are at the end of their tether. They have to work up to nine hours a day, not to mention overtime,” Nico Lutz, chief negotiator and member of the Unia executive committee, said in a statement. The first days of strike will begin next week.
+ Thousands of construction workers protest in Zurich and Lausanne
The unions’ demands include an end to unpaid travel time for journeys to the construction site, a paid morning break, and shorter working days. According to Unia and Syna, these are conditions that have been rejected by the Swiss Contractors’ Association (SSE).
The national agreement for the main construction sector in Switzerland governs the working conditions of nearly 80,000 workers. It expires at the end of the year.
Translated from French with DeepL/gw
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