According to Impressum, around 100 people from all locations took part in the action. They presented a petition to Ueli Eckstein, Head of Regional Media German-speaking Switzerland at Tamedia, in front of the Landbote editorial building in Winterthur. In it, they demand that the redundancy plan from 2009 be applied to the planned redundancies. This was negotiated for Tages-Anzeiger employees.

The current social plan for regional newspaper employees is dramatically worse. For example, all severance payments and compensatory payments in addition to daily allowances have been cut. According to Impressum and Syndicom, the petition was signed by 443 people, including numerous colleagues from other Tamedia locations.

25 full-time positions to be cut

Tamedia acknowledges the protest, but emphasizes that the present redundancy plan should not be compared with previous benefits. The redundancy plan from 2009 was negotiated for the Tages-Anzeiger and cannot be transferred to other editorial offices. A total of 25 full-time positions will be cut at the Stäfa, Bülach and Winterthur sites. Redundancies are expected to be announced in the coming weeks.

Criticism of Imprint and Syndicom

In a press release issued by Syndicom and Impressum on Wednesday, it was asked whether the Group wants to assume its responsibility for the Winterthur media center and a healthy newspaper density, or whether it is still only interested in increasing profits. There is no reason why the editorial offices, whose substance is now under attack, should be treated less favorably. Especially as Tamedia has continuously increased its profits in the years since then.

On Wednesday, the regional newspaper employees want to hand over a petition to the publishing house in which they oppose the planned social plan. They are demanding that the Tages-Anzeiger social plan from 2009 be applied, as it was more generous. The social plan valid for the upcoming layoffs is dramatically worse, the employees write in a statement. For example, all severance payments and compensation payments for daily allowances have been cancelled.

Tamedia takes note of the protest, but stresses that the present social plan should not be compared with previous achievements. "Every social plan is different," company spokesman Christoph Zimmer told news agency SDA on Monday. The social plan mentioned by the regional newspaper employees was negotiated in 2009 for the Tages-Anzeiger and cannot be transferred to other editorial offices.

Extended notice period

But the fact that people would now no longer receive benefits was wrong. The social plan is always based on age, years of service and how quickly someone finds a job again. The benefits are therefore very different. The core of the present social plan is an extended notice period so that employees have more time to find a job. In addition to the normal notice period, Tamedia will grant those laid off an extension of up to 5 months. In addition, early retirement from the age of 60 is possible. The layoffs, which are expected to affect 25 full-time positions, will be announced in the coming weeks. From the beginning of June, the regional newspapers will then appear with a new structure and layout. Externally, Landbote, Zürcher Unterländer and Zürichsee-Zeitung will in future be based on the Berner Zeitung.

Tamedia had announced in August 2013 that it would take over the Winterthurer Landbote completely and restructure the regional papers (Werbewoche.ch reported). The Competition Commission approved the purchase in November, and a few weeks later the previous editor-in-chief, Colette Gradwohl, relinquished management of the Landbote (Werbewoche.ch reported). The new editor-in-chief Benjamin Geiger will implement the reorganization. (SDA)