SYNA congress reelects Arno Kerst as President

06 November 2018 23:34


350 participants attended the 6th congress and 20thanniversary of SYNA “Our work – our future” and reelected Arno Kerst as President of the union.

"The world of work is evolving very rapidly. Digitalisation represents both risks and opportunities and I really want this progress to benefit all workers. We want human dignity and solidarity!” said Arno Kerst, president of Syna in his opening speech. The BWI participated in this event held in Lausanne on 18-19 October 2018.

The congress focused around decent working hours, access to vocational training, decent work including for workers close to retirement age and less qualified workers like migrants. Delegates also stressed the for fathers to obtain a paternity leave of 4 weeks and for workers’ to be involved in the planning of their working time. Various resolutions were adopted on:
-“We want more!”. This resolution demands that wages be increased for all by 2 to 3 percent in 2019 and the importance of ending the wage gap between men and women.

-health: The world of work generates more and more stress for all workers. Syna, therefore, rejects the amendments to the labour legislation like the maximum weekly working time (40h), and calls for stronger sanctions in case of non-respect of the working time registration by employers.

- training: employers should offer training on new jobs and encourage employees to follow such training.

- equality: every year wages should be inspected by an external body and employers should be transparent on this. 

Syna was founded on 12 September 1998 following the merger of the Christian construction workers federation FCTC, the Christian industrial union FCOM, and the Swiss autonomous unions USSA. Syna has 60 000 members in 18 regions of Switzerland.