On 1 April 2008, Securiton AG joined the collective labour agreement (CLA) of Swissmem, the leading association for both SMEs and major corporations in the Swiss technology industry. This entails a number of changes in employment law for the company and its employees. Securiton is now more competitive when it comes to public tenders, and employees also have a say in operational matters through the employee committee.
In our part of the world, people spend a large part of their lives at work. In the past, employers dictated everything. However, in the last century, workers were given more and more rights. Today, it is essential that the relationship be clearly regulated, with rights and obligations for both parties. Basic provisions are laid down in laws, while additional sector-specific aspects are now also regulated in collective labour agreements. As a progressive employer, it was obvious that Securiton AG wanted to enter into such an agreement.
Economic aspects
In February 2007, a project group was tasked with finding a suitable solution. Extensive analyses showed that joining the Swissmem association would best meet the desired objectives. In addition to the employment law side of a CLA, economic issues also played an important role. In the case of submissions from the Confederation, cantons or municipalities, it is increasingly necessary to provide evidence of which CLA the installer company belongs to. In order to have a better chance in this competitive environment, it is only logical to join the CLA. In addition, the agreement on the free movement of persons with the European Union means that compliance with accompanying measures (working hours, minimum wage, etc.) will be monitored in Switzerland in the future. Membership of a CLA makes these checks easier and more efficient. Securiton would also like to play an active role in the Swissmem association and benefit from networking through active cooperation.
The social partners in the collective labour agreement in the mechanical, electrical and metalworking industries are the Association of Swiss Engineering Employers (ASM) and the following employee associations: Angestellte Schweiz, Unia, Syna, SKO (executives) and the Swiss Association of Commercial Employees. 600 companies with 113,000 employees are subject to this CLA. The Swissmem CLA applies for a period of five years. The current CLA lasts until the end of 2010.
Changes for employees
The CLA applies to all full-time and part-time employees of Securiton. This does not apply to apprentices, temporary employees, auxiliary staff (up to three months) and interns, whereby the provisions of the CLA shall also apply to them accordingly. The agreement sets clear and sensible framework conditions in several areas. A new aspect for Securiton is the right of employees to have a say. Their concerns are now raised by the employee committee (see box). The introduction of annual working hours is also new. Eight hours are credited per working day, with an annual working time of 2,080 hours. Each organisational unit regulates the working hours required for it in order to meet the needs of the company and its internal and external customers. Additional hours are defined as up to 5 hours over the required 40 hours per week. Anything above this is considered overtime and may not exceed 170 hours per year. The maximum working week of 45 hours may only be exceeded in exceptional cases. Securiton employees are also experiencing a noticeable change in additional payments. They are now 50% and 25%, respectively. The contribution rates are therefore partly higher than the CLA guidelines, such as additional payments from 8 p.m. and not from 11 p.m. onwards.
The new holiday arrangement represents a significant improvement on the previous employment contract. Whereas the years of service used to be decisive for holiday arrangements, it is now the employee’s age. Employees receive 25 days of holiday when aged 20 and over, 27 days when aged 40 and over, and 30 days when aged 50 and over. Child allowances amount to a set CHF 200, unless a higher amount is set by the canton. Last but not least, there’s something new for mothers-to-be. After 10 months of service, workers are entitled to special maternity leave with full pay. This maternity leave is 16 weeks.