Today, more than 1000 people demonstrated in front of the Gerlafingen steelworks to maintain jobs and steel recycling. They ask the company to commit not to make any layoffs and urge politicians to take measures to protect the future of the Gerlafingen factory, in order to sustainably guarantee the production of recycled steel for the Swiss sector of construction.
The workers of Stahl Gerlafingen are determined to defend their jobs and their steelworks. In their struggle, they receive great support from the population. 15,129 people signed the petition “For the maintenance of Stahl Gerlafingen” which was handed over to Federal Councilor Guy Parmelin on Thursday and today to the company. In addition, more than 1,000 people demonstrated today in front of the Gerlafingen steelworks to support the workers’ demands:
- The company must renounce any dismissals. If necessary, it can resort to partial unemployment to preserve jobs.
- The policy must issue binding guidelines for the use of low-emission recycled steel in public procurement and throughout the Swiss construction sector.
Maintain jobs
The request to renounce layoffs is also the central point of the consultation procedure with the company, which continues until next week. Employees and their representatives have made it clear that maintaining worker knowledge and production capacity in Gerlafingen is fundamental to ensuring the sustainability of the Swiss steel recycling industry.
The Federal Council must act
At the same time, determined political action is needed to secure the future of the steelworks. In particular, the Federal Council must issue binding directives for the use of low-emission recycled steel in public procurement and in the Swiss construction sector in general. Indeed, clear criteria regarding the sustainability of construction materials allow suppliers like Stahl Gerlafingen to offer competitive offers and ensure their sales.
Parliament begins to move
Worker pressure and public support helped Parliament step up efforts to preserve the Gerlafingen steelworks and promote the circular economy. Several parliamentary committees have put the subject on the agenda. Parliament can thus lay the foundations for a policy that sustainably ensures strategic production capacities for the ecological transformation of the Swiss economy.
Swiss
