Geneva Prepares for Disruption on January 31 due to Planned TPG Strike

Geneva is getting ready for some trouble on January 31 because of a planned strike by workers at Transports Publics Genevois (TPG). The workers voted in favor of the strike after talks with the public transport provider didn’t work out. If the strike happens, it will stop trams and buses in Geneva.

Union Members Overwhelmingly Support TPG Strike

Most of the unionized workers at TPG want to go on strike. 83.9 percent of Transfair members and 94 percent of Transport Staff Union (SEV) members voted for the strike at the end of January. This comes after weeks of discussions about salaries and working conditions between the unions and TPG.

Union Demands for Better Pay and Conditions

The unions are asking for a 1.5 percent salary increase in 2024, and they want to limit the time TPG operators spend driving to four hours a day. They also want to increase the number of people in the “driver reserve” from 20 to 77. These are workers who cover shifts when drivers are sick or absent. The president of SEV for TPG workers, Vincent Leggiero, says it’s not fair to call drivers back from their time off to cover for others.

TPG’s Response: No Agreement Yet

TPG has not agreed to any of the union’s requests. Instead, they offered a 1 percent pay increase for 2024 and two extra drivers in the “reserve force.” TPG’s offer doesn’t include a limit on maximum driving hours.

Impending Strike and Previous Actions

If there’s no agreement, TPG workers will go on strike on January 31. Since they make up a big part of the workforce, this will stop buses, trams, and other public transport in Geneva. Services between Swiss cities won’t be affected.

This isn’t the first time TPG workers have gone on strike. In October 2022, they walked out for one and a half days over a similar issue about a 1.2 percent pay raise. The strike in 2022 led officials to advise people to stay home, as TPG could only provide a “minimum service.” The union’s demands were met on October 13.

Hopes for Resolution in 2024

Olivier Hählen, head of Transfair, hopes for a similar resolution in 2024. He said they hope TPG management and State Councillor Pierre Maudet’s Mobility Department will talk and find a solution.

TPG’s Efforts to Avoid Strike

TPG wants to avoid the strike too. They acknowledged the voting results and plan to negotiate with the unions on January 25. Even though no official notice of the strike has been given, TPG wants to keep talking to the unions to find a friendly solution before the strike happens.