EU workers plunged into uncertainty following Swiss immigration vote

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The free movement of workers from the European Union has been seriously challenged following a landmark vote that will see the Swiss government restore immigration quotas.

More than a decade after Switzerland opened its borders to EU citizens, a federal initiative “against mass immigration” – launched by the right-wing populist Swiss People’s Party (SVP/UDC) – was endorsed by a narrow majority of 50.3 per cent on 9 February.

The vote has been received with great concern across the EU as the run-up to the European elections in May has seen populist, anti-immigration discourse gain significant momentum.

The European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) also expressed unease about what any new law will mean for EU workers.

“It is clear that the referendum result undermines reciprocity and the existing agreements, while creating an unbalanced situation between workers’ free movement right on the one hand, and capital and services’ free movement on the other,” says ETUC Confederal Secretary Luca Visentini.

Foreign workers in Switzerland are now caught between a rock and a hard place, Visentini tells Equal Times.

“When such quotas will be exceeded, EU citizens may be prevented from entering, even if Swiss labour market needs them or if they already have a job there.”

Furthermore, according to Thomas Zimmermann, spokesperson for the Swiss Federation of Trade Unions (SGB), the text of the initiative introduces a ‘national preference’ when filling job vacancies.

Therefore, any migrant worker without a Swiss passport who suddenly becomes unemployed, risks losing their right to residence and social benefits.

 

‘Cheap workforce’

Switzerland has a population of approximately eight million people, 23 per cent of whom are migrants – mainly from neighbouring countries such as Italy, France and Germany.

According to the SVP/UDC, the quota will protect the high level of Swiss wages, which they consider under threat by this “cheap workforce” installed in Switzerland.

Other arguments put forward by those in support of immigration reforms suggest that the high numbers of foreigners in Switzerland has pushed up rents and put pressure on the health and education systems.

But the unions don’t agree. “We find this development very negative,” Zimmerman tells Equal Times.

“This plan reintroduces limits on foreign workers without protecting the Swiss salaries. Our principle is, in Switzerland workers must be paid Swiss salaries, regardless if they are foreigners or Swiss nationals.”

When the free movement of workers was implemented back in 1999, a raft of accompanying measures –such as strict sanctions, regular inspections and powerful collective agreements –were introduced by the trade unions in order to protect Swiss wages.

Workers’ representatives are concerned that by abandoning the treaty Swiss politicians will also abandon the implementation of these measures.

It is true that some cases of scandalous wage dumping were observed, but our request for the reinforcement of the accompanying measures was rejected by the right-wing party as well as the employers.

“The SVP/UDC does not want the protection of workers’ wages,” Zimmermann added.

 

A victory for the eurosceptics

Apart from workers who actually live and work in Switzerland, every day thousands of people cross the border from Germany, France and Italy to work in Switzerland — a practice the Swiss vote could also jeopardise.

Jean-François Besson, the secretary general of Groupement Transfrontalier Europeen which represents tens of thousands of French nationals working in Switzerland, told The Local news website that the Swiss people had “rejected” French workers and this would inevitably spark “concern and uncertainty about their future status”.

Italian and German worker representatives had a similar reaction.

But with rising anti-immigration sentiments taking hold in Europe, the ramifications of last Sunday’s vote go much further.

“The issue provoked by the Swiss vote on immigration quotas goes far beyond the EU-Swiss relations,” said Janis Emmanouilidis, Senior Policy Analyst at the European Policy Center during a conference on Wednesday.

“Immigration is high on some member states’ agenda, often accusing EU mobile citizens of ‘social tourism.’ Discrimination, xenophobia and hostility toward the other are collateral damages of the EU crisis.”

Right-wing parties in France, the UK and Germany have already congratulated the Swiss on their decision.

As for the economic implications of the vote, Zimmerman describes it, quite simply, as a “catastrophe”.

Switzerland is home to various global headquarters of multinationals such as Nestle, Roche and Credit Suisse.

“If implemented, it will be very negative for the Swiss exporting industry, contributing to the loss of tens of thousands of jobs,” warns Zimmerman.

So far, the European Commission has only expressed its regret “that an initiative for the introduction of quantitative limits to immigration has been passed by this vote,” stating that it goes against the principle of free movement of persons between the EU and Switzerland, and that the EU’s relationship with Switzerland will have to be completely re-examined.

The Swiss parliament has three year to implement the voters’ verdict but recently announced that a draft law will be ready by the end of the year.