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SWITZERLANDMarch 8, 2004, for the defense of our rights Contributed by working women Our correspondents hereby reply to the questionnaire on the consequences of European directives on working women proposed by the Commission of Working Women of the International Liaison Committee. Switzerland is not a member of the European Union and consequently the rights of women were called into question because of the bias and pressures of European directives. That is why after many years we were able to note the consequences of the application of the Treaty of Maastricht, including in Switzerland. In the areas of extreme importance for all women, the revision of the old age pension (AVS), maternity leave, maintenance of protection for young workers and apprentices, the Swiss Socialist Party and the Union of Swiss Trade Unions (USS) agree to defend these rights. March 8 is the occasion for a mobilization on these questions. Directive 76-207-CEE "relative to professional equality between women and men" Switzerland denounced at the beginning of the 1990’s Convention 89 of the ILO prohibiting night work for women in industry. It opened the door to revision of the law on work which was based in great part on the name of equality of men/women. A first revision, restoring night work for women in industry was an opening in forbidding work on Sundays and was rejected in a popular vote in 1996. Two years later a new revision re-establishing night work for women, was accepted. After January 2000 women in Switzerland can be hired for night work. Numerous industries call for women workers who, on average, earn 20% less than men. For example, the case of a 40-year old woman, single mother raising two grand children, works at night in a packing plant in Valais for a net salary of 2,300FS (1,370 Euros). From that sum one must deduct medical insurance and housing and obviously there is little left for living expenses. In comparison, the low salaries which one finds in catering and sales are around 3,000.FS (1,785 Euros). Directive 92-85-CEE –"security and health of working pregnant women, mothers of newborns or breast feeding at work." Maternity insurance was written into the Swiss Constitution over 50 years ago. But up to the present that insurance was not integrated into legislation. Only women covered by a collective convention or working in public services benefited from maternity leave. For the others a maternity leave of eight weeks is foreseen in working law but without the guarantee of a paid salary. A law on maternity leave, covering 80% of the salary for14 weeks after giving birth was voted on last year in Parliament. The UDC launched a referendum against this law, figuring the women must stay home. The referendum was defeated and the public will be called to vote in September 2004. The Union of Swiss Trade Unions (USS) and the Socialist Party appeal for a NO vote on this referendum and for the application of the law. Directive 94-33-CEE "relative to the protection of youth at work" Under pressure from employers and in the name of alignment with the European Union, a project to revise the work law to lower the age of protection for young workers and apprentices to 18 years is under consultation. At present, young workers benefit from protection up to age 19 (forbidden to work at night, or on Sundays, length of rest, protection against dangerous work, etc.) and apprentices in formation up to 20 years old. This revision, to which the Union of Swiss Trade Unions is firmly opposed, the Socialist Party and other organizations followed a consultation on a new protection ordinance. On this occasion the employers and bourgeois parties demanded a lowering of the protection age to 18 years. Certain employer circles wanted to lower the working age of children for light work to 11 years (actually it is 13 years!). Social protections, health system The social security system has seen modifications, which were made principally on the backs of women. For instance, the retirement age which up until 1996 was still 62 years for a woman became 63 years in 2002 and will be 64 years as of 2006. If the 11th AVS revision, which will be voted on May 16 is accepted, this means that women after 2009 must wait until age 65 to retire (the same age as men). Regarding the 11th revision of the AVS (old age and survivors insurance) this law foresees aligning the right to a widow’s pension to the right to a widower’s pension , which is more restricted. Nowadays to benefit from a widow’s pension a woman must have children (even those of age), must be at least 45 years old and must have been married at least 5 years. With this revision only the widows and widowers with a minor child would be entitled. It is also foreseen to lower the widows’ and widowers’ pensions to 60% of retirement pensions, against 80% at present (this would mean a monthly loss of up to 412 FS. Or 245 Euros.) We must not forget that indexation for men as well as women will not be held every two years but every three years. It is against this 11th revision of the AVS that the socialist Party and the USS have launched a popular initiative referendum that obtained in record time (48 hours) 80,000 signatures. The voting which will take place on May 16 constitutes a major stake for women and all employees. In the framework of the 4th revision of the AI (disability insurance) that went into effect on January 1, 2004, the complementary pensions for spouses (usually women) were suppressed. Before under certain conditions, a person’s spouse who became disabled could be granted a pension representing 30% of the disabled pension. For example, a person who was entitled to a monthly AI insurance of 1,800 FS (1,071 Euros) could receive for the husband/wife 540 FS (321 Euros) or a total of 2,360 FS (1,392 Euros). The fact is that since January 1 only 1,800 FS is allocated in the framework of the new right, representing a loss of 23% for a couple! In the same fashion the daily indemnities of the AI were increased 30% for married people but after January 1 this is no longer the case. Other aspects of this law have been reviewed in regard to men and women, notably the suppression of a quarter pension and the appearance of a 3/4 pension. Without going into technical details that are far too long, this means that henceforth people who become invalid at 25% must look for complimentary services that are funded by taxes and which are not awarded except under certain economic conditions. As to the introduction of a 3/4 pension this is a risk for numerous retirees. AI which used to benefit a 100% pension now represents a lowering of 25% of this last. Considering the law foresees equally that all the AI cases be reviewed in 2004. Swiss legislation regarding medical insurance has been neglected. After the introduction of the LAMAL (law on medical insurance) in 1998, the cost of insurance premiums rose and deductibles also rose greatly. Even though in order to reduce the cost of monthly premiums the insured chose higher deductibles (up to 1,500 FS (1,000 Euros). The consequence was that people waited to see a doctor. Women especially did not go for their annual gynaecological check up recommended for their health. The reimbursements for care have been reduced. More and more reimbursements are not made for medication, and controls of basic insurance are reduced little by little. If people to not have the means to pay for complimentary insurance, they do not have the right to certain care. Temporary (casual) work Casual and informal work has been developing in Switzerland. It applies in great measure to women. A new style of work is becoming the norm: the on-call work. A study estimates that 200,000 people work on call, around 5,4% of workers or one employee out of 20. Two thirds of these are women, essentially married women with children, people with lower education or those looking for work. Over half the people working on call do not benefit from a guaranteed minimum of working hours. The places where this work is most frequent are those under-unionized like retail commerce, hotels, catering or health care. According to this study almost always 30% of the on call activities are situated in the public sector or in fields connected to public sectors such as health or the traditional federal agencies "privatized" (Post Office of CFF). The hourly pay of workers on call is around 20% less than the usual salary in the field.
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Open World Conference of Workers