French Cross-Border Workers In Switzerland Fear“Discriminatory” Unemployment Reform

11/13/2024 2:52:05 PM

(MENAFN- Swissinfo) In the French region surrounding Geneva, elected officials and cross-border workers are protesting against proposals to reduce unemployment benefits for cross-border workers in Switzerland.

This content was published on November 13, 2024 - 16:45 6 minutes Keystone-SDA

They argue the measures are“discriminatory”, with some associations prepared to take legal action.

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“The cross-border worker is valued at times, but envied and vilified at others. They are a scapegoat,” says Thomas Fischer, head of the European Cross-Border Group, which has 25,000 members.

However, the salaries of cross-border workers bolster the economies of several French regions, he told AFP at the association's headquarters in Annemasse, Haute-Savoie.

At the centre of the discussions is the negotiation on unemployment insurance between employers and unions, set to conclude on Thursday. The government is asking them to find an additional €400 million (CHF373 million) compared to last year's agreement.

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One option involves the compensation system for cross-border beneficiaries, which adds an extra cost of around €800 million per year for unemployment insurance, according to insurance company Unédic.

European rules stipulate that cross-border workers contribute in their country of employment but receive benefits calculated based on their salaries, which are often higher than in France, especially for those who have worked in Switzerland and Luxembourg.

One proposal is to apply a coefficient to account for the difference in the standard of living between the country of work and France. Labour and Employment Minister Astrid Panosyan-Bouvet has also indicated she wants to redefine the notion of a“reasonable job offer” for cross-border workers.

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