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The crown situation in Switzerland remains tense. To control the virus, the Minister of Health, Alain Berset (48), calls on the cantons to carry out massive tests in all areas in nursing homes, schools and companies. Since Monday, the federal government has also borne the cost of testing people without symptoms. The chains of infection must be broken faster.
In fact, some cantons have already taken the first steps. Others like Bern, Geneva, St. Gallen or Valais are skeptical. Because the situation in the canton does not currently require it or because extensive testing is considered disproportionate. Adrian Wüthrich (40) can’t understand that. The president of the trade union organization Travailsuisse calls for regular tests in companies, in particular to protect employees.
VISTA: Mr. Wüthrich, how disappointed are you with the cantons that are skeptical of the massive tests? Do they sometimes focus too little on the welfare of the workforce?
Adrian Wüthrich: The possibility of mass testing is still relatively new, and the cantons are already heavily burdened by the vaccination campaign and contact tracing. But I hope they move quickly now. In the next few days, everyone will have to come up with a concept. Because only then will the federal government cover the costs of mass testing in companies. Detecting corona-infected people without symptoms would be an important step in the fight against the virus.
Individual cantons see this currently different.
I do not understand that. Finally, the Federal Office of Public Health also advises it and wants to support the cantons in this. Cantons should take advantage of this offer, and very quickly. But I have the feeling that people don’t always think ahead.
As a trade unionist, your focus is on the employee. Are they not sufficiently protected in the Corona crisis?
You can see everything there: individual companies are exemplary in the implementation of protective measures, others are quite lax. That is why we ask for more controls in companies. The federal government remains cautious about this. From our point of view, he also acted late in some cases – the mask requirement at work was late, as did the home office requirement. We can still see some problems there. It would be very important to quickly carry out extensive tests in companies.
The workplace has yet to draw attention as a corona hotspot. Are you not exaggerating something?
There are contagions everywhere. Half of the employees cannot work from home, so protection concepts are very important. They work when followed. The tests are intended to supplement and not to replace measures. It is about recognizing infected people who have not yet presented any symptoms and breaking the chains of transmission. There is a risk in break rooms or dining rooms. For example, construction companies are just making available larger barracks where workers can warm up in winter. There is the greatest risk of infection. And the virus can be transmitted from the workplace to the family, where it spreads. Therefore, we see a great need for action so that we can loosen protective measures as quickly as possible and thus secure jobs.
Keystone
Travailsuisse President Adrian Wüthrich advocates for employees.
It was a brief guest appearance in the Bundestag building: Adrian Wüthrich (40) was again expelled from office in 2019, a victim of the green wave. But at least he managed to score points as a father on paternity leave. And: as president of Travailsuisse, he remains close to politics.
But do employees even want such tests? It has also been heard that some people fear for their work if they are absent from work.
We are also aware of these cases. In times of crisis in particular, fear of job loss increases. If jobs have to be cut, those affected may suddenly have bad cards. However, we often hear that good protection concepts are desired. New findings and possibilities, such as saliva tests, should complement them. However, the tests must be voluntary if they have not been ordered by the authorities. The workforce must also have a voice before a company conducts a massive test.
But what does mass testing change in fear of losing your job? As an employee, I still have to be quarantined and absent from work.
So the individual does not have to expose himself to the employer. The entire staff can take the corona test during business hours, which also serves to protect each other. Anyone with the virus is contagious even if they have no symptoms. You then show up to work, and in the best case scenario, the virus can spread unhindered. This must be avoided! We really recommend anyone with symptoms to get tested and not report for work until the result is clear. Those who must be quarantined receive salary compensation. Of course, we would like the EO fund to reimburse the full salary and not just 80 percent during this time.
What about employers? Are you interested in such massive tests? So half the workforce could suddenly disappear?
If you adhere to your own protection concepts, not everyone should go into quarantine. If individual infected people can be identified early and isolated, everyone has an interest in it. In general, fewer people are infected and absent from the workplace. This has also been proven in massive tests in Graubünden. But this understanding has yet to grow.
The president of Economiesuisse, Christoph Mäder, even asks for mandatory tests in the companies of the “SonntagsZeitung”.
We, on the other hand, insist on voluntariness as long as the authorities do not order such tests based on the epidemiological situation. The cantons must first create the possibility with concepts. Mr Mäder’s attitude, on the other hand, does not surprise me, as a boss, he wants to be able to give orders. We want employees to have a voice in protecting health even in times of crisis in companies and industries.
