Swiss Trade Union Federation

The Swiss Trade Union Federation (German: Schweizerischer Gewerkschaftsbund, SGB; French: Union syndicale suisse; Italian: Unione Sindicale Svizzera, USS) is the largest national trade union center in Switzerland.

SGB/USS
Swiss Trade Union Federation
Schweizerischer Gewerkschaftsbund
Union Syndicale Suisse
Unione Sindacale Svizzera
Founded1880
HeadquartersBern
Location
Members (2023)
315,790
Key people
Pierre-Yves Maillard, president
AffiliationsITUC, ETUC, TUAC
Websitewww.sgb.ch

History

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The federation was founded in 1880.[1] The SGB has close ties with the Social Democratic Party of Switzerland (SPS). Ruth Dreifuss, the former President of the Confederation, and former member of the Swiss Federal Council, was previously an SGB official.

Affiliates

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Current affiliates

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The following unions are affiliated to the SGB:

Union Abbreviation Founded Membership (2023)[2]
AvenirSocial AvenirSocial 2005 3,785
Federal Staff Association PVB 1912 7,378
Garanto Garanto 2001 2,614
Kapers Kapers 1971 2,842
Nautilus International Nautilus 2011 530
New Wood New Wood 1998 23
Swiss Bank Employees' Union SBPV 1918 5,691
Swiss Musicians' Union SMV 1914 1,687
Swiss Music Pedagogic Association SMPV 1893 2,476
Swiss Union of Mass Media SSM 1974 2,666
Swiss Union of Public Service Personnel VPOD 1905 32,037
Syndicom Syndicom 2010 29,034
Unia Unia 2004 174,540
Union of Transport Workers SEV 1919 36,916

Former affiliates

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Union Abbreviation Founded Left Reason not affiliated Membership (1954)[3] Membership (2001)[4]
Association of Swiss Air Traffic Control Personnel VSFP 1988 1999 Merged into GEKO N/A N/A
Comedia Comedia 1998 2010 Merged into Syndicom N/A 16,597
Staff Association of the Embroidery Industry 1944 Merged into GTCP N/A N/A
Swiss Bookbinders' and Carton Makers' Union SBKV 1889 1980 Merged into GDP 4,465 N/A
Swiss Choir and Ballet Union N/A N/A
Swiss Clothing and Leather Workers' Union 1891 1930 Disaffiliated N/A N/A
Swiss Clothing, Leather and Equipment Workers' Union VBLA 1930 1992 Merged into SMUV 8,248 N/A
Swiss Customs Employees' Union VSZP 1906 2001 Merged into Garanto 3,464 N/A
Swiss Dental Technicians' Union 1918 N/A N/A
Swiss Hat and Cap Workers' Union SHMV 1904 1947 Merged into VBLA N/A N/A
Swiss Lithographers' Union SLB 1888 1998 Merged into Comedia 3,059 N/A
Swiss Metalworkers' and Watchmakers' Union SMUV 1915 2004 Merged into Unia 115,944 89,907
Swiss Professional Association of Social Work SBS 1946 2005 Merged into AvenirSocial N/A N/A
Swiss Textile Homeworkers' Union 1914 1948 Merged into GTCP N/A N/A
Swiss Typographers' Union STB 1858 1980 Merged into GDP 10,560 N/A
Swiss Union of Silk Bolting Cloth Mill Workers SVSW 1890 2008 Dissolved[5] 596 256
Union Movement for Labour and Justice GEWAG 2005 Dissolved N/A 521
Union of Commerce, Transport and Food VHTL 1915 2004 Merged into Unia 39,750 16,329
Union of Communication GEKO 1998 2010 Merged into Syndicom N/A 38,375
Union of Construction and Industry GBI 1993 2004 Merged into Unia N/A 91,276
Union of Construction and Wood GBH 1922 1993 Merged into GBI 71,813 N/A
Union of Paper and Graphic Assistants of Switzerland 1903 1934 N/A N/A
Union of Printing and Paper GDP 1980 1998 Merged into Comedia N/A N/A
Union of Swiss Postal Employees VSPB 1893 1998 Merged into GEKO 5,501 N/A
Union of Swiss Postal, Telegraph and Telephone Personnel PTT-Union 1891 1998 Merged into GEKO 16,191 N/A
Union of Swiss Telegraph and Telephone Supervisors VSTTB 1874 1998 Merged into GEKO 2,528 N/A
Union of Textiles, Chemicals and Paper GTCP 1908 1993 Merged into GBI 26,532 N/A

Presidents

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Since 1884, the SGB has had the following 27 presidents, one of which was a woman:[1]

1884: Ludwig Witt
1886: Johann Kappes
1886: Ludwig Witt
1888: Albert Spiess
1888: Georg Preiss
1890: Rudolf Morf
1891: Conrad Conzett
1893: Eduard Hungerbühler
1894: Eduard Keel
1896: Lienhard Boksberger
1898: Alois Kessler
1900: Heinrich Schnetzler
1902: Niklaus Bill
1903: Karl Zingg
1909: Emile Ryser
1912: Oskar Schneeberger
1934: Robert Bratschi
1954: Arthur Steiner
1958: Hermann Leuenberger
1969: Ernst Wüthrich
1973: Ezio Canonica
1978: Richard Müller
1982: Fritz Reimann
1990: Walter Renschler
1994: Christiane Brunner and Vasco Pedrina
1998: Paul Rechsteiner
2019: Pierre-Yves Maillard

References

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  1. ^ a b Swiss Trade Union Federation in German, French and Italian in the online Historical Dictionary of Switzerland.
  2. ^ "Mehr Mitglieder bei den SGB-Gewerkschaften". SGB. 30 April 2024. Retrieved 11 July 2024.
  3. ^ Mitchell, James P. (1955). Directory of Labor Organizations: Europe. Washington DC: United States Department of Labor. pp. 28.16–28.24.
  4. ^ Gass, Stefan (2002). Fusionen und Übernahmen von Gewerkschaften in der Schweiz. Zurich: Universität Zürich. p. 28. Retrieved 7 December 2020.
  5. ^ "Zur Mitgliederentwicklung der Gewerkschaften im Jahr 2008". SGB. Retrieved 17 December 2020.
  • ICTUR; et al., eds. (2005). Trade Unions of the World (6th ed.). London, UK: John Harper Publishing. ISBN 0-9543811-5-7.
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