Swiss petition demands eight week holiday for apprentices

A Swiss alliance backed by trade unions has handed the government a petition demanding eight weeks' annual holiday for apprentices. +Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox The aim is to lighten the workload of apprentices, prevent drop-outs and make vocational training more attractive. The 176,447 signatures were collected in just two months. The open letter to the government points out that while students get 13 weeks of holiday per year, apprentices only get five weeks, a clear inequality of treatment. The text also denounces the overwork of trainees. According to a survey, two thirds of them suffer from mental disorders and a quarter abandon their apprenticeship. Especially criticised are the excessively long working hours, insufficient holidays and a lack of support. According to the alliance, increasing the number of holiday weeks will improve the quality of apprentice training. "In the end, everyone will benefit: trainees, companies and society in ...