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On 9 February 2014, a narrow majority of Swiss voters voted in favour of an initiative by the Swiss People's Party (SVP) effectively re-introducing quotas for immigrants from the EU. The vote’s outcome is qualified as a huge setback for immigrants to Switzerland, for trade unions and progressive forces. It unavoidably places Switzerland in a dead-end roadmap and puts in question the principle of free movement, thwarts immigrant’s rights in Switzerland and challenges the efforts of trade unions to implement the principle of “equal pay for equal work at the same location”.

Paul Rechsteiner, president of the Swiss Federation of Trade Unions SGB, Andreas Rieger, SGB delegate in the European Trade Union Confederation Executive Committee, and Renzo Ambrosetti, co-president of Unia and vice-president of IndustriAll Europe, condemn the outcome of the people’s initiative. The attached joint statement available in English, French, and German, provides background information on the root-causes of this negative outcome, explains the multiple threats and setbacks for workers’ rights in Switzerland, and sets out the engaged campaign against all forms of discrimination and the upholding of the good relations with Switzerland’s neighbours and the EU.