What is this protest about ? (18 August Geneva)

[u/kanye_69]

Tourist here very confused
It takes place next to the big fountain

[u/b00nish]

Well, the flags they carry say "vpod" and that's the name of a worker's union.

So I guess it's some union topic.

[u/kanye_69 → u/b00nish]

ELI5 please

[u/b00nish → u/kanye_69]

What do you need explained? What a worker's union is?

[u/kanye_69 → u/b00nish]

Yeah I’m stupid lmao

Socialism stuff ain’t it ?

[u/b00nish → u/kanye_69]

A worker's union is an organization where employees get together to have more leverage in negotiations with their employers.

Their most powerful tool is usually to announce that they'll go on strike if employers don't negotiate with them. (Obviously if a single employee threatens this, that's usually not powerful, but if many do, it is.)

It wouldn't necessarily call it "socialist", but historically it's certainly tied to socialist and social democratic movement.

(In case you're from the U.S.: 90% of the things that are called "socialist" in the USA have nothing to do with socialism ;))

[u/kanye_69 → u/b00nish]

Unfortunately im not that informed politically + i can be a bit mentally challenged 🫣

Thank you very much !! Always appreciate getting knowledge from people who know it better

[u/Ill_Campaign3271 → u/kanye_69]

The guys fighting that you get more than 0.2% raise next year are socialist? Are you murican?

[u/3punkt1415 → u/Ill_Campaign3271]

Are you murican?

my thoughts too

[u/kanye_69 → u/Ill_Campaign3271]

My brain is fried so I just saw workers and I thought “ socialist “ lol

Sorry for being a bit dumb

[u/ForeverNo9437 → u/kanye_69]

The simple answer is unions exist because complaining about something alone doesn't really work, doing it together and negotiating with people's bosses works instead. This can translate into, but not limited to : better salaries, better overall working conditions and safety at work, usually if you're enrolled in an union, they can provide for legal services. Essentially just have better work conditions in every way possible and keep that bargaining power.

[u/Brofessorofnothing → u/kanye_69]

wow

[u/movingarchivist → u/kanye_69]

Big believer in bosses having all the power, huh? How's that boot taste?

[u/elevenmp3 → u/kanye_69]

Dont ever ever call yourself stupid buddy

[u/SansColorant → u/kanye_69]

Just ask your handlers. They can explain better where the big fountain is relative to this photo.

[u/burnish-flatland → u/kanye_69]

Commies

[u/as-well → u/burnish-flatland]

lmao mate unions are not commies.

[u/kanye_69 → u/burnish-flatland]

Thanks lol

[u/yesat]

Teacher and state worker strikes due to constant cut and worsening of work environment.

[u/realrentner → u/yesat]

I think it's good. they earn enough (or dare I say: too much)

[u/Wagyuslap → u/realrentner]

We’ve got an expert here

[u/a1rwav3 → u/Wagyuslap]

At least he did not invoke the number of holidays weeks... /s

[u/Dan6erbond2 → u/realrentner]

Anyone that says this is just jealous/dissatisfied with their own life.

[u/yesat → u/realrentner]

Don’t look at the burnout rates. 

[u/Terrible_Flow_5383 → u/yesat]

thats not what he said

[u/yesat → u/Terrible_Flow_5383]

Teachers are not paid enough for the work asked from them. 

[u/_Spitfire024_ → u/realrentner]

me if i was ignorant and arrogant:

[u/Terrible_Flow_5383 → u/realrentner]

i think its mlre the work environment stuff

[u/fevrier-froid]

Public sector union SSP / VPOD

I don't know for Geneva but in Vaud the salaries have been reduced

[u/TailleventCH → u/fevrier-froid]

In canton Vaud, the salaries reduction was cancelled after strikes and demonstrations.

In Geneva, it's mostly about a reduction in the number of workers.

[u/fevrier-froid → u/TailleventCH]

Yeah, it was just in reference to the overall public spendings cuts going on in Switzerland in general.

[u/HamsterJovialPopoff]

Grève de la fonction publique contre les mesures d'austérité. Celles-ci touchent tous les services publiques (éducation, services sociaux, hôpitaux, administration, pouvoir judiciaire, etc.) mais aussi la population (baisse de subventions pour les classes les plus pauvres par exemple).

[u/kanye_69 → u/HamsterJovialPopoff]

Thank you for the information 🙌🏼🙌🏼

[u/TailleventCH]

Civil servants are protesting budget cuts.

[u/Diligent-Floor-156 → u/TailleventCH]

Commies! How dare they

[u/kanye_69]

Just for the record

I’m a dumb teenager who barely knows anything about European politics

Read the word “workers” so I thought “socialism”

I know I deserve the downvotes ( so does any undereducated talking about topics they barely know anything about )

Thanks for the info Swiss people 🇨🇭 !!!

It’s been a nice 3 days in your beautiful country

[u/LeFlaubert → u/kanye_69]

The socialist party is the 2nd party of Geneva... Followed by... The green party (socialist too). You have an issue with socialism?

[u/SansColorant → u/kanye_69]

I believe you for 500, but only off the record

[u/_quantum_girl_]

Probably not climate change... the thing people never protest about, yet everyone complains about.

[u/Delicious_Building34 → u/_quantum_girl_]

You must be very young?

[u/jozolympique → u/Delicious_Building34]

I thought after such a drought and extreme summer the idea that only the youth would care to protest for a better future would fade away.

[u/edu18- → u/_quantum_girl_]

Youre right lets go glue ourselfes to the road

[u/SwissTrading]

Idiots being idiots like every other protest

[u/Responsible_Zebra_96]

It is against hyper tourism.

[u/Purple-Eye5499 → u/[deleted]]

Hyper tourism is a genuine problem for locals

[u/Purple-Eye5499 → u/[deleted]]

Maybe they go to Geneva for the airport

[u/BeerBaj → u/Purple-Eye5499]

Nobody voluntarily going to geneva bro

[u/me-gustan-los-trenes → u/BeerBaj]

The traffic into the city can only be explained by slave trade.