Showdown at the SRK: Red Cross employees sound the alarm

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The Swiss Red Cross (SRK) is in the middle of a storm. On Saturday, the delegates will meet at a hotel on Lake Neuchâtel for the Red Cross meeting. To the confrontation.

After director Markus Mader (60) was fired last December, its president Barbara Schmid-Federer (57) was caught in the crossfire of criticism. An external study confirmed her “little aptitude and will to lead”.

From the BAG to the SRC

Schmid-Federer eventually resigned – “for health reasons”. Thomas Zeltner (75) will be chosen as his successor on Saturday. Zeltner was head of the Federal Office of Health for 18 years. But will a new president be enough to end the months-long crisis of Switzerland’s largest aid organization? Insiders doubt it.

The employees of the Red Cross headquarters in Bern are also concerned. In an open letter seen by Blick, they write that the working atmosphere has deteriorated drastically.

Confidence in the Red Cross Council has steadily declined “and has reached an all-time low,” the workers write. They complain about a culture of distrust and attempts to put pressure on employees. “We don’t want to work under such conditions.” The network system is currently more divided than ever.

The Red Cross writes that the letter reflects the experience of the employees. “The extent to which the opinion of the employees will flow into the Red Cross meeting will become clear on Saturday.” The SRK was there “as usual” for those in need. “This, although the situation was not easy for the employees.” Saturday’s elections should bring stability again.

Bregy demands a fresh start

Bad omens for the new interim president Zeltner. He will only hold the office for about a year. Former Federal Councilor Simonetta Sommaruga (63) is seen as a possible successor. As Blick reported, she had already been asked to be Schmid-Federer’s direct successor. What she “honours and pleases”. At the same time, she had endorsed Zeltner as the new president. And she agreed to “keep in touch with the search committee.”

For the center faction leader and central chairman of the rescue dog squad Redog, Philipp Matthias Bregy (44), the appointment of a new chairman is not enough. As head of one of the four rescue organizations belonging to the Red Cross, he says: “The SRK desperately needs a rest and that calls for a fresh start – the sooner the better.”

The weather forecast promises a calm Lake Neuchâtel for tomorrow. It should storm in the hotel in front. (pt/bro)

Source:Blick