As part of its efforts to educate its members, UNIA recently released, “A Look at our History – 2018: “Trade Union migration policy in Switzerland and the fight against discrimination and wage dumping,” written by Vasco Pedrina former BWI Regional Vice President for Europe. The publication which consists of ten chapters elaborates on the official migration policy of Switzerland of the past decades, the failures and success of Swiss trade unions, the development of protective social measures, the fight against social dumping, the old system of seasonal work and visions for the future.
The Publication is available in German and French and Chapter 1 “Twelve thesis on the free movement of persons and accompanying social measures” and chapter 10. “Two visions of the future: equal rights and social protection for all – lessons from history” are available in English.
Vasco Pedrina highlights the migration policy in Switzerland as a major challenge for trade unions, where concerns of competition in the labour market and of “wage dumping” are deliberately being fueled by right-wing populist forces everywhere. He explains the immigration models before and after the introduction of free movement regulation between European Union and Switzerland in 2002/2004, wage protection systems and the importance of statutory minimum wages in the sectors, importance of national binding collective agreements and the policy of solidarity, non- discrimination and equal rights as the only way to success in regard to immigrants versus deterrence policy.
In the foreword, Vania Alleva, President of UNIA stated, “The Swiss trade union movement has come a long way in migration policy. Attempts at isolation and xenophobic discrimination are unfortunately not just a thing of the past. Right-wing forces are trying to turn the class struggle into a nationalist struggle for sovereignty and identity against foreigners and immigrants. The Swiss trade unions will not fall into this trap again. We are committed to fighting for good working conditions, better wages and greater social rights for all those living and working in our country, without exception and without discrimination.”