SHARE
COPY LINK

PROSTITUTION

Swiss vote on holidays, demos and sex trade

Switzerland is voting on Sunday in a series of referenda on issues ranging from longer holiday entitlement to tougher rules on demonstrations in Geneva -- a proposal already denounced by a UN expert.

Residents in Geneva — the city that is home to the UN Human Rights Council and the Red Cross — will decide whether to allow authorities to impose fines of up to 100,000 Swiss francs ($110,000) on anyone who demonstrates without prior permission and who does not abide by agreed conditions.

The cantonal government-backed law amendments would also allow authorities to require changes to demonstration itineraries, if they posed “disproportionate risks to people” and their property, a move that would give officials the power to ban gatherings in the city centre.

The proposal has already been criticised by a UN human rights expert, who said such amendments to rules on demonstrations would “unduly restrict” the rights to free expression.

“The exercise of fundamental freedoms should not be subject to a previous authorisation by the authorities,” said Maina Kiai, the UN special rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association.

“Switzerland is leading important initiatives with respect to the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of peaceful assembly.

“The proposed changes to the law on demonstrations in the canton of Geneva are not in consonance with these positive efforts,” he said.

Proponents say the move would prevent instances such as the violent anti-World Trade Organisation demonstrations in 2009, in which shop windows in the city centre were smashed and cars set alight.

In a separate cantonal vote, residents of the Swiss city of Zurich are to decide whether to build dedicated garages where prostitutes can ply their trade, in a proposal aimed at moving streetwalkers away from residential zones.

Advocates of the Zurich referendum want a parking zone built for prostitutes by 2013 at the entrance to the city.

The site would be open from 7 pm to 5 am and would have an alley where prostitutes and clients can cruise along and garages where they can carry out their transactions.

Meanwhile on a federal level, the Swiss, known for their work ethic, are expected to reject a union-led proposal to extend paid leave from four to six weeks.

The government and businesses have both rejected the proposal, warning that it would make labour costs too high. Opinion polls in the run up to the vote indicate that the bid would garner just 30 percent support.

Union Travail Suisse had put up the issue to a vote as it found that a third of employees in Switzerland were suffering from stress at work, and  believed that two extra weeks of holidays could remedy the problem.

The unions estimate the cost of the programme at two million francs a year.

Under Switzerland’s direct democracy system, anyone can put a question to a referendum if he or she is able to garner the support of 100,000 eligible voters within 18 months.

Member comments

Log in here to leave a comment.
Become a Member to leave a comment.

DEMONSTRATION

IN PICTURES: Thousands take to Berlin streets in peaceful social justice, climate protest

Thousands of people marched in Berlin on Saturday for human rights, solidarity and social justice and against climate change in response to a call from the 'Unteilbar' (Indivisible) movement.

IN PICTURES: Thousands take to Berlin streets in peaceful social justice, climate protest
Participants hold a banner reading "Stop the climate catastrophe" during a demonstration organised by the "#unteilbar" (indivisible) movement on September 4th, 2021 in front of the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin. (Photo by Adam BERRY / AFP)

An alliance of more than 340 organisations and initiatives, including the German Children’s Fund, Amnesty International, Fridays for Future, the German Trade Union Federation and the Berlin tenants’ association, called for the demonstration, according to German newspaper Tagesspiegel.

At the end of the demonstration, police estimated that the number of participants was in the “upper four-digit range”, adding that people mostly observed hygiene rules and wore masks. Some 30,000 people had registered to attend.

The unteilbar movement’s motto is “For a just society based on solidarity”. (Photo by Adam BERRY / AFP)
Organisers of the march decryed the growing divisions in European society that they say are being fuelled by policies that accentuate the gap between rich and poor, which prioritise security over human rights and promote nationalism over inclusion.
The alliance called for “different political priorities” and a redistribution of wealth from the top to the bottom in a tweet, explaining that current policies strengthened inequality in many areas. 
The below picture shows a banner from ‘Wer Hat Der Gibt’, an alliance that says the rich should pay for the crisis.

Participants of the march hold banners printed with ‘No place for racism!’ and “People are not the same, but their rights are’. (Photo by Adam BERRY / AFP)

“We want different political priorities and don’t let ourselves be played off against one other,” said Unteilbar activist Anna Spangenberg, Tagespiegel reported. Those who have political responsibility must “finally tackle the climate crisis consistently and in a socially fair manner” and fight racism and misanthropy, she said.

The country needed a democracy “which guarantees real participation for everyone and which everyone can help shape”, she added.

Participants hold a sign reading ‘No Place For Nazis’ during a demonstration organised by the “#unteilbar” (indivisible) movement. (Photo by Adam BERRY / AFP)

A sign reads ‘Racism is not normal’, a reference to the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party slogan ‘Germany, but normal’ at Saturday’s demonstration. (Photo by Adam BERRY / AFP)

“I’m here today because I’ve been fighting for more hospital staff and fair wages for years,” said protester Dana, Tagesspiegel reported. “And I know that this is only possible together and in solidarity.” Another participant, Florian, said he wanted to “make a statement against right-wing parties” and “for human rights” before the general election.

The general election takes place in less than three weeks time and will see Chancellor Angela Merkel step down after 16 years in power.

READ ALSO: Who will replace Angela Merkel as chancellor?

Police officers working at the demonstration said hygiene measures were mostly observed and participants wore masks. (Photo by Adam BERRY / AFP)

A participant holds a flag reading ‘love music- hate fascism’. (Photo by Adam BERRY / AFP)

Participants at the “#unteilbar” (indivisible) demonstration hold banners, one reading ‘Solidarity is #non-negotiable’. (Photo by Adam BERRY / AFP)
SHOW COMMENTS