Labor Dispute
Protesters at the public sector strike in Geneva called for the resignation of State Councilors Carole-Anne Kast and Nathalie Fontanet.
Keystone
About 500 people joined a demonstration against budget cuts in Geneva on Monday evening. The latest public sector strike took place right at the start of the school year. Participation among teachers was just over one percent.
Today at 21:04
Today at 21:04The impact on school operations was minimal. According to estimates from the Department of Education (DIP) shared with Keystone-SDA, only 1.2 percent of staff participated in the strike. That number—138—was roughly equal to the number of absent students, 153. Approximately 60 class periods were canceled.
The public sector and the subsidized sector in Geneva have been mobilizing since last November in response to the planned austerity measures. The unions and government employees are particularly critical of the suspension of seniority bonuses for 2026, as well as the freeze on cost-of-living adjustments and health insurance subsidies. Added to this are cuts of 50 francs to the integration allowance under social assistance.
The tensions with security forces during the G7 summit in neighboring France have also left their mark. “Antisocial government” and “police state” read the banners calling for the resignation of State Councilors Carole-Anne Kast and Nathalie Fontanet. In front of City Hall, State Councilor for Finance Fontanet subsequently became the main target of the chants.
The Grand Council had rejected two draft budgets for 2026. Now, September in Geneva promises to be an exciting month on this issue. In addition to the draft budget for 2027, the State Council must announce the four-year financial plan.
Similarly, the cantonal government must announce which measures it will adopt from the expert group’s proposals in order to achieve annual savings of 500 million francs by 2029.