Labor Dispute
The rally on Tuesday evening in Geneva marks the end of the strike movement, which was launched on August 10 by the Union of Public Service and Subsidized Sector Employees at the start of the school year.
Keystone
Geneva civil servants took to the streets again on Tuesday evening. About 1,200 people participated in this second demonstration in two days against the expected budget cuts. On Monday evening, the turnout had been just over 500.
Today at 21:13
Today at 21:13The rally on Tuesday evening marks the end of the strike movement, which was launched on August 10 by the Union of Public Service and Subsidized Sector Employees at the start of the school year. The goal is to reignite the mobilization ahead of September 17, when the Council of State will present its 2027 draft budget and its four-year financial plan through 2030.
In the education sector, strike participation on Tuesday stood at 3.3 percent, compared with 1.2 percent on Monday, according to estimates from the Department of Education obtained by the Keystone-SDA news agency.
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 in social assistance.
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.