Thousands of construction workers from western Switzerland demonstrated in Lausanne

Construction workers from the six cantons gathered in a large tent in the port of Ouchy in the morning. After several speeches, among which the President of the Swiss Trade Union Confederation (SGB), Pierre-Yves Maillard, came together for the General Assembly. In the early afternoon they started a huge parade in the capital of Vaud.

From Ouchy on the lakeshore to Place de la Riponne in the city centre, between 6,000 and 7,000 workers demonstrated for more than two hours, according to a count by the Keystone-SDA news agency and unions. Traffic was therefore affected.

Large banners could read “Increase wages, not hours” or “Flexible-no to insecurity”. A minute’s silence was held on the Bessières Bridge for our colleagues who lost their lives for their profession.

Not long ago, in a warm atmosphere in the tents, the workers repeatedly chanted their favorite slogan “Boss t’es foutu, les macons sont dans la rue” (boss, you’re done, the bricklayers are on the street).

The background to the mobilization of the construction sector is the renewal of the government framework contract (LMV), which expires at the end of the year. Despite six rounds of negotiations, the social partners still have not come to an agreement. A failure results in a no-contract state.

“Employers’ demands are as wrong as possible and the deterioration in the working conditions of masons is intolerable and unacceptable,” SGB President Maillard told the crowd. Freemasons denounce any intention of employers to make working hours longer in the summer and more flexible with mandatory holidays in the winter. Nor do the strikers understand that the Swiss Builders Association (SBV) refuses to raise wages despite the current economic situation.

“Bricks build bridges, houses and tunnels. Your job is difficult and dangerous. They deserve better protection, the right working hours and a decent wage increase,” said Nico Lutz, who is in charge of the construction industry at the Unia union.

In French-speaking Switzerland, thousands of construction workers took to the streets on Monday to vent their anger. According to unions, there were 4,000 workers in Lausanne and around 2,000 in Geneva, while demonstrations were also held in Delsberg JU, Freiburg and La Chaux-de-Fonds NE. The wave of protests will continue in Zurich on Friday outside the headquarters of the builders association.

The Builders Association believes that the strike violated the peace obligation as it took place at a time when the seventh round of negotiations between the social partners was underway. The issue has also been moved to the Geneva Collective Chamber of Industrial Relations.

The Geneva judge, however, did not address the issue. However, SBV has not been defeated yet. The master builders association is considering filing a lawsuit with the national arbitration court provided for in the state framework agreement for the main construction trade.

(SDA)