Survey at Swiss Technik on Working Hours: a Clear Task for SEV-GATA
Dear Colleagues,
Thank you for participating in our survey concerning working hours. I am happy to inform you about the results.
Over 90% of participants perceive having to perform additional working days as stressful or extremely stressful. A considerable number of respondents waive vacation days or part of their salary to avoid having to perform additional working days. Accordingly, an overwhelming majority of participants (98.4%) consider it important or very important that SEV-GATA negotiates a better solution with Swiss concerning additional working days. For us, this is a clear mandate to enter into discussions with Swiss on this topic.
We have also informed you about the situation regarding break time regulations. The survey shows that two thirds of participants cannot take their breaks as planned at least once every shift block – 11.3% even three to four times and 4.8% five to six times. This comes as no surprise. However, it is a clear sign that this is exactly what we need to talk about – also in connection with the additional working days. The survey clearly shows that this is also a stressful or very stressful situation for a large part of you (57.4%). Here, too, SEV-GATA has a clear mandate to take care of the issue, especially since taking breaks is crucial for the employees' recovery.
We have also asked you how you feel about the fact that shift start and end times are very rigid, although you provide a high degree of flexibility in your day-to-day work as required by the employer. The result is clear: Almost 70% of participants are not satisfied with the current regulations and consider more flexibility to be of the utmost importance.
When it comes to the question of prioritizing these three topics, additional working days clearly ended in the top spot with just under 80% and is therefore our main priority.
Further Course of Action
The situation is clear, we have the order to initiate changes with regard to additional working days. As a first step, we will confront management with the survey results and, in collaboration with our trusted representatives, we will try to reenter negotiations.
We will keep you informed and are available for any queries in the meantime.
Kind regards
Regula Pauli
Trade Union Secretary SEV