Friday, September 02, 2011

Portuguese embassy staff in Switzerland strike over strong franc...

Exporters and tourists are not the only ones suffering from the strong franc: Portuguese consular staff are striking over the franc’s rise and austerity measures.

 They say their salaries have fallen by 30 per cent since 2010 and should be readjusted; they have contacted the Swiss foreign ministry for support. Italian embassy staff in Bern are also unhappy about wages being paid in euros.

Portuguese consular staff – mostly administrative and technical workers – have been on strike in Switzerland since August 29.

The Portuguese embassy in Bern as well as consulates in Geneva, Sion, Lugano and Zurich, which represent some 200,000 Portuguese nationals living in Switzerland, are reportedly closed.

“If this situation continues, we’re heading towards extreme poverty in Switzerland,” consular union representative Marco Martins told swissinfo.ch. More...

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