Swiss Ground Staff Presents Petition to CEO: Basta – it’s our turn now!
A delegation of Swiss employees today presented a petition bearing 600 signatures to Swiss CEO Jens Fehlinger. In the petition, ground staff clearly call for greater recognition of their contribution in the Collective Labour Agreement (CLA) currently under negotiation.
Although Swiss has for years been one of the most profitable airlines and has developed into the Lufthansa Group’s cash cow, the ongoing CLA negotiations for ground staff are proving difficult. “The negotiating culture remains constructive, but the interim results still fail to adequately recognise the tremendous contribution made by ground staff, who have played a key role in Swiss’s success story and will continue to be decisive for the airline’s future success,” summarises SEV-GATA President Philipp Hadorn regarding the current state of negotiations.
The petition originated from the SEV-GATA Sounding Board, made up of employee delegates, and was signed by one third of the affected workforce in less than a month. Under the title “Basta – Now It’s Our Turn!”, it states plainly:
“It is true that the airline industry operates in uncertain times. In every previous crisis, we have supported the company and accepted amendments to the CLA as our contribution to overcoming difficult circumstances. In recent years, Swiss has generated hundreds of millions in profits.
However, employees’ working conditions have hardly improved, while the costs of housing, health insurance and many other essentials have risen dramatically.
The 2027 CLA for ground staff must finally deliver substantial improvements. The interim report following the second round of negotiations gives cause for concern.
By signing this petition, I confirm as a Swiss employee: We have waited long enough. Basta (enough) with delays and waiting. Meaningful improvements in the Swiss CLA 2027 are needed now.”
“It is a sign of a mature social partnership when employees’ concerns are taken seriously, and it is an important expression of appreciation when the mandate for negotiations is expanded to allow greater flexibility,” Hadorn emphasises. The next round of negotiations is due to begin shortly.
About the Swiss Ground Staff CLA
The current Swiss Ground Staff CLA 2018 can, for the first time, be terminated with effect from the end of the year by giving notice by 30 June 2026. During the COVID-19 crisis, employees made significant sacrifices through CLA concessions to support the struggling company. In earlier crises as well, employees, represented by their trade union, adopted a constructive approach in order to safeguard the company’s development and protect jobs. The planned revision of the CLA aims to secure industrial peace and fair working conditions for the years ahead. Further information on the progress of negotiations is available on SEV-GATA’s website, particularly in the publicly available member newsletters.
For further information, please contact:
Philipp Hadorn,
Union Secretary and President of SEV-GATA
SEV-GATA (Groundstaff Aviation Technics and Administration)
is the trade union representing aviation ground staff. It supports members working for a wide range of companies, including Swiss International Air Lines Ltd., Swissport, Equans and others. SEV-GATA is the aviation division of SEV, the Swiss Transport Workers’ Union. With around 37,000 members, SEV is the largest trade union in the Swiss public transport sector.
