“Construction workers are at the end of their tether. They have to work up to nine hours a day, not to mention overtime,” Nico Lutz, chief negotiator and member of the Unia executive committee, said in a statement. The first days of strike will begin next week.

+ Thousands of construction workers protest in Zurich and Lausanne

The unions' demands include an end to unpaid travel time for journeys to the construction site, a paid morning break, and shorter working days. According to Unia and Syna, these are conditions that have been rejected by the Swiss Contractors' Association (SSE).

The national agreement for the main construction sector in Switzerland governs the working conditions of nearly 80,000 workers. It expires at the end of the year.

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