On 17 May 2020, voters in Switzerland will vote on the SVP's dismissal initiative. Although the initiative is called the "Limitation Initiative"("Begrenzungsinitiative"), its demands are clear and drastic: if it is accepted, the Federal Council will have to terminate the agreement on the free movement of persons with the EU.
About initiative
Acceptance of the initiative would invalidate the "accompanying measures ". These were introduced to protect the wages and rights of employees in Switzerland. If the "accompanying measures" were to be dropped, wages and workers' rights would come under extreme pressure. In addition, the adoption of the initiative would mean that the Bilateral Agreements I with the EU would cease to apply. The consequences for Switzerland as an economic location would be unpredictable and many jobs would be threatened.
Reasons and the real goal
Many workers deprived of rights. We say no: In terms of migration policy, acceptance of the initiative would mean that over 1.7 million migrants from the EU would lose extensive permissions and substantial rights. The aim of the initiators is not to have fewer migrants in Switzerland. Rather, it is to disenfranchise migrants, as was the case in the past with the status of seasonal workers. This is bad for all of us. Studies have shown, that the more secure the residence status, the more secure and better the wages and working conditions are. The initiative therefore concerns us all; it is an attack on wages and the rights of all the workers in Switzerland.
We must therefore resolutely resist the reduction of rights. We need comprehensive freedom of movement with protection of wages and labor rights for all, not their restriction. The SVP is once again concerned with making policy on the back of migrants. By dismantling the rights of migrants, they will achieve their real goal: many workers without rights who cannot defend themselves and will work for low wages.
We have to stand up against this together, but also as migrants. Whether with or without the right to vote, we stand up against the degradation of all our rights with self-confidence and collectively! Let us not allow the SVP to use us to impose its anti-social and racist policies. Let us stand together against this harmful termination initiative.
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