At the heart of the European issue, Pierre-Yves Maillard and the unions could play spoilsport. In the show Temps Present, the boss of the USS says he prefers the status quo to a new bilateral agreement.
The new bilateral negotiations, called bilateral III, officially started in December 2023 under the aegis of the Federal Council. Deemed crucial by economic circles, they are struggling, for the moment, to convince the union left.
In the program Temps Present which paints his portrait, Pierre-Yves Maillard details his position. “As it stands, there will be no union support for this project,” said the USS boss. “The status quo is better than a new agreement.” The socialist particularly fears liberalization in electricity, rail and the labor market.
According to his opponents, however, the USS president’s “no” is tactical. He would try to obtain from economic circles a large extension of collective work agreements. “He is ready to play a scorched earth policy by demanding compensation that has no connection with the European issue,” declares Philippe Nantermod, Valais PLR national advisor. We have even heard of a minimum wage, which does not has nothing to do with bilateral agreements,” he adds.
A rapprochement of circumstance with Christoph Blocher?
However, the outcome of the negotiations will depend on Pierre-Yves Maillard and the unions. Because if added to the sovereignist refusal of the UDC, a “no” from the USS would very probably bury the chances of success of the bilateral III before the people. A convenient alliance between the union left and the UDC which would not displease Christoph Blocher, also interviewed by the Temps Present team: “We must bring together people who have the same goal, not those who have the same arguments , declares the former Zurich UDC federal councilor. So if Maillard finally wanted to say no to this project, that would be good because he is a person who is popular in French-speaking Switzerland,” he analyzes.
The tutelary figure of the UDC had also invited Pierre-Yves Maillard last January during the party of the Zurich section of the party at the Albisguetli and recognizes in the report from Temps Present that he had done so in the perspective of a rapprochement on the European question.
François Roulet
#Swiss
