Syndicat Unia Secrétariat régional de Genève

Unia, No. 1 in Geneva As an interprofessional union, Unia represents workers in all branches of the private sector.

With 200,000 members, Unia is the largest trade union in Switzerland. Covering almost the entire private sector, it negotiates working conditions and wages for more than one million people.

Unia defends the interests of all workers. It implements modern collective bargaining agreements, strengthens employees' rights, and is committed to a sustainable social security model. It acts in the name of fairness and social justice. In addition, Unia manages the largest unemployment fund in Switzerland.

The members' union

Unia is a democratic organization, where members decide on important political and strategic issues. Its supreme body is the ordinary congress, which is held every four years. The Unia congress elects the central committee and the executive committee. In the meantime,the delegates' assembly represents the congress as the supreme body of the members.

The composition of Unia's bodies

Unia's statutes stipulate that the composition of the delegations to the congress and the delegates' assembly must reflect the composition of the membership as a whole, particularly in terms of sectors, nationality, and age.

At least one-third women

At least 33% of the members delegated to the congress and the representatives elected to the central committee and the executive committee must be women. In the sector and branch bodies, women and men are represented in proportion to their share of the corresponding employee group.

Unia's interest groups (IGs) are active at the national level, in all Unia regions and in many sections. In addition to political issues, the focus is on the social dimension of union life. At Unia, it's a pleasure to get involved as a member!

Ten years ago, the Unia union was born out of a desire to create a social force that was unavoidable and well established in companies. The merger of several unions resulted in what is now the largest employee organization in Switzerland. The goal of combining energies to effectively defend the rights of workers has been achieved.

Priorities for European activities

At the European level, Unia is affiliated with the main industry associations. Unia also participates in the activities of the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC).

Social Europe has come under severe pressure in recent years. Unia is therefore focusing on:

• a European policy on minimum wages;
• concerted action against wage dumping, in order to enforce the principle of "equal pay for equal work in the same place";
• a comprehensive investment plan for Europe.

Cross-border cooperation between trade unions and activities within European Works Councils (EWCs) are also very important.

At the international level, Unia has a long tradition of involvement, mainly in industry associations (IndustriALL, IBB, UNI, etc.) but also, through the Swiss Trade Union Federation (SGB), in the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC).

Unia's main areas of activity:

• campaigns for fundamental rights and trade union rights. These campaigns, carried out in many countries, go hand in hand with active lobbying of international institutions such as the International Labor Organization (ILO) and the World Bank.
• Cooperation projects and campaigns with other trade unions to strengthen the trade union movement worldwide and promote decent work. Campaigns carried out during major sporting events are a good example of this.
• Framework agreements with multinational companies to enforce the ILO's fundamental labor standards.

We cultivate our collaboration with a large number of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and social movements. Most of these organizations participate in the World Social Forum. Our vision is that of a Switzerland based on solidarity at the heart of a social Europe, as well as globalization that promotes sustainable development.

The Unia trade union is committed to better working conditions and wages, as well as good social benefits. But it is only together that we are strong: the more of us there are to make our voices heard, the better the results achieved by the union. Join Unia!

Your benefits

• Legal advice and protection in the event of professional difficulties or disputes with social insurance companies
• Reimbursement of professional contributions
• Free training courses
• Subscription to the newspaper "L'Evénement syndical" (or "Work" or "area")
• Special discounts from Reka, Switcher, Coop Bank, and Coop Legal protection and smile.direct insurance
• Vacation offers.

Other benefits for Unia members

Become a member of Unia – to secure good working conditions for your colleagues and yourself!

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