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Swiss steel workers hold demonstration to save their plant

Stahl redundancies: demonstration on the Bundesplatz
The demonstrators demanded that the steelworks remain in operation and that no further redundancies be made. Keystone-SDA

Several hundred employees of the Stahl Gerlafingen steel company demonstrated in front of the Swiss parliament building in Bern on Monday morning. They were protesting against their employer's plans to dismantle the plant.

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The demonstrators demanded that the steelworks remain in operation and that no further redundancies be made.

“Save these jobs”, said Pierre-Yves Maillard, president of the Swiss Federation of Trade Unions and a senator. Stahl Gerlafingen said earlier this month it intends to lay off 120 employees.

+ Steel mill applies for reduced working hours due to energy costs

The future of the steel mill has been uncertain for some time. Last spring, the company already decided to close a production line, resulting in the loss of some 60 jobs.

According to the Syna trade union, Stahl Gerlafingen is the largest recycling company in Switzerland. It is a subsidiary of the Italian Beltrame Group.

Translated from French with DeepL/gw

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