Problems again about the EU: unions warn about Cassis’ plans

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Ultimately, it was the Federal Council that annulled the EU framework agreement. In May 2021, he admitted that the agreement was hopeless. Now negotiations with the EU are in danger of failing again.

Once again, it is the unions that are the first to threaten to leave the negotiating table. After the exploratory discussions, it is clear to them that wage protection in a new solution with Brussels is insufficient. The employer side sees it differently, but at a point where companies are also threatened with hardship, they are also demanding that the Federal Council negotiate hard.

The state government wants to formally approve the exploratory results on Wednesday and order the development of a negotiating mandate.

Local businesses at a disadvantage

Employers are affected by the principle of origin when regulating expenses. The problem here is this: if a Romanian company carries out an assignment in Zurich, its Romanian employees are not allowed to charge Swiss expense rates for lunch and accommodation costs, but only the rates customary in Romania. This is a disadvantage for Swiss companies because, unlike companies from the EU, they have to reimburse the actual costs for room and board.

The criticism from the unions goes much further. You see this as a liberalization program. In addition to wage protection, they also fear for public services. It is no coincidence that the railway union warns against pushing Swiss public transport against the wall, as has happened with liberalization in other European countries – a nod to Transport Minister Albert Rösti (56), whose SVP is against an EU is agreed.

After a conversation on Thursday with federal councilor Guy Parmelin (63), the union leaders decided on Friday to make their dissatisfaction public on Monday.

The Federal Council should make improvements

The SVP and the left have the power to undermine the EU deal. Against this background, the government must consider “how it wants to sell an EU treaty to the population,” the unions said. Ultimately, they must take seriously the growing concerns among their members about immigration.

It doesn’t look like that for the unions. In their view, Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis (62) wants to make the result of the exploratory talks the result of the negotiations. This would mean that the government and not the Federal Council would have determined the future of bilateral relations.

Cassis will likely face criticism in the Federal Council. At least one member of the Federal Council should submit a co-report against simply passing on the results of the explorations.

Source:Blick