- In Geneva, the bus and tram drivers continue their strike on Thursday.
- This was decided by the unionized employees of the municipal transport company (TPG) with a majority of over 90 percent.
- Employees are dissatisfied with their salaries.
They have been calling for the full inflation adjustment of 1.2 percent since January. The company management, on the other hand, has offered a 0.6 percent adjustment since September and a one-time bonus of 400 francs. Because no solution is in sight, some of the TPG employees stopped work on Wednesday.
Legend:
Before the strike by TPG staff, buses were positioned outside the depots.
Keystone/Salvatore di Nolfi
“The lack of proposals from management to resolve the conflict fueled the anger of TPG staff,” said the unions SEV and Transfair in a media release. Workers believe the minimum service introduced by the company on Wednesday “has made the situation worse rather than better” for both passengers and staff.
Since the depots were blocked by the strikers, the company management parked around 180 vehicles, buses and trams on the city’s route network during the night on Wednesday. Volunteer drivers took over the vehicles there on Wednesday morning.
This maneuver by the TPG was criticized by the unions SEV and Transfair. It represents a security problem, said union secretary Aurélie Lelong.
People fight for their purchasing power.
Some trams and buses ran in the city center on Wednesday. According to the TPG management, around 9:30 a.m. 200 vehicles were in use on the network. While the regional and cross-border service was guaranteed, this was not the case for the service on the urban lines. According to the TPG, this was very reduced.
protest of the state personnel
The Geneva state staff is also not satisfied with the salaries. The union is demanding a wage adjustment of 3 percent. The State Council rejects this and limits itself to 1.35 percent in the draft budget for 2023. At a meeting, the approximately 350 people present voted unanimously for a corresponding resolution with one abstention.
The organization also demands that the 488 new jobs that are to be created by the state in 2023 be maintained. She also wants the state to pay for rising energy costs, so that they are not offset by cuts in benefits or wages in the subsidized units.
Legend:
«Strike, a minimum service is planned. Call up timetables online », is written on the TPG display board.
KEYSTONE/Salvatore Di Nolfi
The state personnel coordinated with the employees of the transport companies when choosing the day of action. The joint mobilization day ended with a rally. The demonstration train started near the Cornavin station with about 1000 people.