Nestlé Switzerland: Unia mobilizes to end stress on the job at Nespresso

The IUF’s Swiss affiliate Unia, joined by the IUF, demonstrated outside Nestlé’s Nespresso boutique in Lausanne on February 11 to denounce intolerable working conditions at the company’s three Nespresso production sites in Switzerland.

Over union opposition, Nespresso has established a ‘4×8’ production regime which has meant reduced staffing on extended clusters of long shifts. Once a month, workers are required to work up to 58 hours a week, plus two weekends at 12-hour shifts, with no more than 2 continuous days off. A huge majority of workers report stress, fatigue and severe disruption to their lives outside work.

Nestlé rejects Unia’s demand for a reorganization of the staffing and production schedules and management recognition of union delegates at the sites. Unia has collective agreements at other Nestlé manufacturing facilities in Switzerland, but Nespresso refuses recognition and negotiation and has created a non-union committee with whom it claims the problems are being addressed.

Unia is committed to pursuing the struggle against unacceptable working conditions at one of Nestlé’s flagship brands.