Construction workers rally in Switzerland over stalled labour deal

More than 700 construction workers took to the streets of Sion, in canton Valais, on Saturday, answering a call from the Valais Trade Union. The protest was sparked by a deadlock in negotiations over the national collective labour agreement for Switzerland’s main building sector. + Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox The demonstrators voiced concern over deteriorating working conditions and announced plans to strike on November 3 and 4. In a symbolic gesture, they raised the “matze” (a traditional wooden effigy) in protest against the Swiss Contractors’ Association (SSE). The collective agreement that sets out working conditions for around 80,000 construction workers across Switzerland is due to expire at the end of the year, the Unia union warned in a statement on Saturday. Without a new deal in place, the sector could face a gap in collective bargaining for the first time in over a decade. Trade unions have criticised the SSE for pushing to extend the ...