Swiss Glassworks Staff On Strike Over Lay-Offs

(MENAFN- Swissinfo) Staff at the Vetropack glass-making factory in St-Prex, canton Vaud, are on strike, demanding better terms for people being laid off.

Do you want to read our weekly top stories? Subscribe
here .

Since the announcement in mid-May of the closure of the glassworks, the employees, supported by the Unia and Syna unions, have demanded that“real negotiations” be carried out regarding the social plan.

They also demand a freeze on layoffs – around 180 positions must be eliminated – until this social plan has been negotiated and signed. They ultimately demand the maintenance of industrial jobs in St-Prex in the event of takeover by another company.

Believing that management is not responding to these demands, the employees met in an assembly and decided to go on strike late Friday morning. The movement is followed by“a large majority” of employees, notes Nicole Vassalli, head of the Unia Vaud industry sector, when contacted by Keystone-SDA.

This content was published on Mar 18, 2023 Swiss company Vetropack says it will rebuild a destroyed glass bottle making facility in Gostomel, near to the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv.

She specifies that the factory is not completely shut down, particularly its furnace, so as not to damage the installations. On the other hand, no more bottles leave the site until management addresses staff concerns, added Vassalli.

She emphasises that if Vetropack has indeed planned a social plan, it is“totally insufficient and unworthy”. Among other grievances, the unions deplore management refusal to engage in“any consultation of staff during the procedure”. She adds that a new meeting with management could take place on Monday.“We want real negotiations, not just discussions,” she says.

Vetropack management reacted Friday afternoon by“urging” employee representatives and unions to resume dialogue“responsibly”.

According to the group's boss Johann Reiter, quoted in a press release, management has“reaffirmed” its desire to discuss the social plan in preparation.“We therefore do not understand why the unions are now unilaterally supporting a strike which will considerably delay the finalisation of the social plan,” he adds.

According to Vetropack, the strike affects both production and the St-Prex warehouse. The company notes, however, that it has not yet had any consequences on customer supplies,“at least in the days to come.” If the movement were to continue, Vetropack explains that it will look for“a solution” to ensure supply to customers from other factories in the group.

Regarding job cuts, the first dismissal letters should be sent“in the coming days”, Vetropack also announced. Around half of the employment contracts will be terminated in this first phase until August 31. The other positions will be phased out until 2026.

This content was published on May 23, 2024 The proportion of people in Switzerland who are stressed at work has increased by 5% over ten years, according to the Federal Statistical Office.

“The dismantling of machines and installations after stopping production will require some time, which will allow us to employ some employees for longer,” explains the group.

Translated from French by DeepL/mga

Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox.

Daily

The SBC Privacy Policy provides additional information on how your data is processed.

I consent to the use of my data for the SWI swissinfo newsletter.

• Swiss firm to rebuild Ukraine glass-making plant
• Employees in Switzerland increasingly stressed at work

This content was published on May 25, 2024 Swiss Federal Railways confirms September deadline for full rail service in Gotthard Base Tunnel.

This content was published on May 25, 2024 Decorated Swiss singer-songwriter Bastian Baker is a newly appointed UNICEF ambassador.

This content was published on May 24, 2024 In finding that a car importer engaged in dishonest practices must pay a multimillion-dollar fine, the court also clarified the penalties in general.

This content was published on May 24, 2024 The artefacts are two reliefs and a statue which are between 1,700 and 2,800 years old.

This content was published on May 24, 2024 In the areas of service, industry and construction, more employment was seen in the year's first quarter.

This content was published on May 24, 2024 At a cost of more than CHF1 million, the small ship is now able to make relatively short journeys on battery power.

This content was published on May 24, 2024 Switzerland was one countries boasting more viewers than ever before. A large proportion of younger viewers were also found to have tuned in.

This content was published on May 24, 2024 Both women are to undergo psychiatric treatment during the probationary period.

This content was published on May 24, 2024 2023 saw an unprecedented number of overnight guests, suggesting that the industry has been able to bounce back through additional funding, marketing and development.

This content was published on May 24, 2024 The bank's CEO acknowledges that the institution is "too big to fail." There is however disagreement with certain of the proposed regulations.

In compliance with the JTI standards

More: SWI swissinfo certified by the Journalism Trust Initiative

You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!

If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at ... .

MENAFN25052024000210011054ID1108256189