Industrial and Service Sector Policy

Creating future-proof jobs

Unia fights to ensure and create good working conditions and future-proof jobs in the individual sectors.

Ongoing structural change

Switzerland’s economic sectors are undergoing ongoing structural change, with new jobs being created, others being moved abroad and yet others disappearing entirely. How can structural change be influenced in such a way as to create jobs and secure good working conditions? To address this challenge, Unia has formulated individual policies for the manufacturing and services sectors.

Swiss industrial sector top in terms of share of GDP

The industrial sector in Switzerland accounts for the highest share of GDP than in any other western Europe country. The central tenet of Unia's industrial policy is: investment. Investment in the future and in training and research is the key to creating new jobs. The document entitled «Wir fordern eine aktive Industriepolitik» (PDF) sets out recommendations for a new approach to the changing economic and social environment.

Outlook for the hospitality sector

The hospitality sector is suffering from structural problems. As a social partner of the collective labour agreement for the hospitality sector, Unia seeks to improve working conditions and shape the sector's development. The publication  «Perspektiven im Gastgewerbe» (PDF) recommends ways in which the hospitality sector can ensure good working conditions and resolve structural problems by exploiting untapped potential.

Adding value to jobs in the retail industry

With its 320,000 employees, the retail industry is the second largest business sector in Switzerland. Stress is a major factor in retail jobs, and working conditions are difficult and strenuous. With around 14,000 members, Unia is the strongest trade union force in the retail industry and solidly anchored among employees in this branch of industry. Our members in the retail industry determine in various committees our strategy and objectives for this sector. Unia is committed to the improvement of working conditions: As a contractual partner of the Coop Collective Labour Agreement (CLA), including all existing local collective employment agreements of a generally binding nature.

Renaissance of industrial policy?

Is industrial policy heading for a renaissance, and is there a progressive industrial and regional economic policy? The Denknetz think tank addresses these questions in «Industriepolitik in Europa».
 

«Input» Industry

«Input» is the newspaper for Unia members working in the industrial sector. It is published four times a year in German (with English articles) and French (with Italian articles).

2021

  • Input 2021/4 Between the workbench and the classroom. The MEM Career Bridge 4.0 has been successfully launched. p 14 | “Technological and structural change affects us all.” Three questions for the Chairman of the Board of MEM-Career Bridge 4.0 AG and educational economist Prof. Dr. Stefan Wolter. p 15
  • Input 2021/3 Purchasing power needs to increase! It cannot be the case that the costs of work-related illnesses are mainly borne by workers. p 14 | Alarming conditions Stress in the workplace is increasing - and with it the psychosocial risks and consequential costs. p 15 | The collective agreement of the watchmaking industry as a model: Premium subsidies n industry p 15
  • Input 2021/2 Climate policy: A fi rst step. p 14/15
  • Input 2021/1 The other deadly virus. The epidemic is revealing a highly explosive social crisis. Now the trillion-dollar bailouts have lit the blue touch paper. p 14/15

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