A planned public sector strike in the Swiss canton of Vaud was met with contention Tuesday as union officials accused management at the Center Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois (CHUV) of hindering employee participation. The dispute stems from proposed budget cuts impacting public sector salaries and subsidies, sparking protests across the canton and highlighting broader tensions over government austerity measures. Union representatives allege the hospital improperly used minimum service requirements, potentially preventing hundreds of the CHUV’s 13,000 employees from exercising their right to strike, a claim hospital officials attribute to a disagreement over the interpretation of those requirements.
A planned public sector strike in the Swiss canton of Vaud was hampered Tuesday by what union officials are calling an aggressive response from management at the Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois (CHUV), the region’s largest hospital. The dispute centers on planned budget cuts that will impact salaries and subsidies, prompting widespread protests across the canton. The situation underscores growing tensions between the government and public employees over austerity measures.
Union representatives allege that the CHUV improperly invoked minimum service requirements to prevent many of its 13,000 employees from participating in the strike. According to David Gygax, a union secretary for SSP Vaud, “the vast majority of people who wanted to strike were prevented from doing so.”
Hospital Staff Claim Requisitioning Exceeded Needs
One CHUV employee confirmed that the hospital didn’t limit itself to essential patient care during the strike. “People who had announced they would be striking were requisitioned by their supervisors to guarantee a minimum service level,” she said. “But when they came to work, they found there was as much staff as usual, or even more, enough to provide a normal service.” She specifically cited nurses at the Hospital for Children as an example.
Gygax estimates that between 300 and 500 CHUV employees were compelled to work, even in departments not considered essential. Despite the obstacles, between 100 and 150 employees used their lunch break to demonstrate in the hospital’s central hall, according to RTS. Union leaders have formally protested the hospital’s actions to Rebecca Ruiz, the head of health for the canton of Vaud.
“We expect a change in behavior for the strikes on November 25 and 26,” Gygax warned.
CHUV Cites ‘Divergence of Interpretation’
The CHUV maintains it did not prevent employees from striking, attributing the conflict to a disagreement over the definition of “minimum service.” “It appears there is a divergence of interpretation of the definition of minimum service between the partners, the unions and management,” a hospital spokesperson explained. They added that a quarter of the 180 employees who initially announced their intention to strike were ultimately requisitioned, with over 80% of those being healthcare workers.
Thousands Join Protests
