34 lines
1.4 KiB
Markdown
34 lines
1.4 KiB
Markdown
The **Swiss Railway Strike of 2008** was a
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[strike](List_of_Strikes "wikilink") in
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[Switzerland](Switzerland "wikilink") in
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[2008](Timeline_of_Libertarian_Socialism_in_Western_Europe "wikilink")
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by railway workers in order to protect against job losses. It was at the
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beginning of a [global wave of
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unrest](Revolutions_of_2008_-_2014 "wikilink").
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## Background
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Following the [Great Recession](Great_Recession "wikilink") in 2007 and
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2008, a major Swiss railway country was rumoured that it would lay off
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more than 400 workers, but didn't say who. The trade union demanded
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information on who would be fired. During a meeting with the workers and
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the bosses, the boss confirmed it was true and the workers threw the
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boss out of the meeting hall and went on strike.
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## Events
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The strikers formed solidarity committees with all local towns and
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factories, and soon protest marches with flags and balloons broke out. A
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massive solidarity fund was created and the workers occupied their rail
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workshops and sabotaged train tracks, also threatening to block major
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rail routes. Several workshops were the only factories in the country
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capable of producing breaks for cargo trains. Workers hung red flags
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from their houses and occupied workplaces.
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## Results
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The strike was successful and no workers were laid off.
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## References
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<https://nvdatabase.swarthmore.edu/content/swiss-railway-workers-strike-against-job-cuts-2008> |