Comedia criticizes job cuts at Swiss Printers
The media union Comedia is protesting the job cuts resulting from the integration of Zürcher Druck + Verlag (ZDV) into NZZ Fretz, claiming that Swiss Printers’ actions are illegal. The printing company sees the matter differently.
The media union Comedia has issued a statement protesting against the job cuts resulting from the integration of Zürcher Druck + Verlag (ZDV) into NZZ Fretz. Both companies belong to Swiss Printers; the ZDV site in Rotkreuz will be closed. 23 of 57 full-time positions will be cut. Comedia assumes that a large part of the reduction will be achieved through redundancies. The job cuts are therefore mass redundancies. The union alleges that Swiss Printers' actions are unlawful: Swiss Printers has disregarded the relevant regulations and refused to engage in any dialog. The workforce and their representatives were informed of the liquidation far too late, so that the necessary negotiations could not be held.
Comedia is calling on the publishers involved in Swiss Printers to suspend the closure decisions and to enter into negotiations with the trade unions and the staff committee without delay.
Swiss Printers sees things differently: "We hear the accusation that we are acting unlawfully from the trade union every time we make a change," Managing Director Rudolf Lisibach told Werbewoche. The process was carried out in accordance with the legal provisions. In response to criticism that the staff were informed too late, he explained: "We provided full and direct information at the first possible moment. The trade union had been informed ahead of time on Wednesday. There could therefore be no question of a refusal to engage in dialog. In order to strengthen the Personnel Committee (PKO) in Rotkreuz, the experienced PKO President of the Zofingen site had been called in for the further process. The personnel committee will now be involved in the subsequent implementation work.
Lisibach commented on the union's call for the closure to be suspended as follows: "The fact that the process to date has been carried out in accordance with legal provisions rules out the possibility of a suspension. Also in view of the fact that the implementation that is now starting is being carried out with the involvement of and in close cooperation with the staff committee."
Comedia is calling on the publishers involved in Swiss Printers to suspend the closure decisions and to enter into negotiations with the trade unions and the staff committee without delay.
Swiss Printers sees things differently: "We hear the accusation that we are acting unlawfully from the trade union every time we make a change," Managing Director Rudolf Lisibach told Werbewoche. The process was carried out in accordance with the legal provisions. In response to criticism that the staff were informed too late, he explained: "We provided full and direct information at the first possible moment. The trade union had been informed ahead of time on Wednesday. There could therefore be no question of a refusal to engage in dialog. In order to strengthen the Personnel Committee (PKO) in Rotkreuz, the experienced PKO President of the Zofingen site had been called in for the further process. The personnel committee will now be involved in the subsequent implementation work.
Lisibach commented on the union's call for the closure to be suspended as follows: "The fact that the process to date has been carried out in accordance with legal provisions rules out the possibility of a suspension. Also in view of the fact that the implementation that is now starting is being carried out with the involvement of and in close cooperation with the staff committee."
