My understanding is that, in Switzerland , laws protecting employees are weaker than in the EU. I’ve seen employees let go for ‘operational reasons’ etc. My feeling is that if my boss wants to fire me because he doesn’t like me then he can. In that case what’s the point of joining UNIA ?
People ate saying that once you join you cant leave but i read that if you give notice before the end of june you can cancel your membership at the end of the year. Also if you get fired / unemployed then the membership is only 10.70 per month.
What are your thoughts ?
Access to legal support, asking employment related questions, networking, etc. If enough employee are members, you can setup a collective labour agreement that can offer more protection than the basic legal requirements (e.g. pre defined social plan for mass layoffs)
That said there are different “flavor” of unions, UNIA-affiliated vs. things like Angestellte Schweiz, those things depend on your political leanings.
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Firstly, you would have to check whether your industry sector is covered by Unia. Depending on your sector, a professional association may bring you more value than a union.
I do believe labor unions have their place. For myself personally though, I find it helpful to look at employment the same way I look at self-employment. A person/company needs the services I can offer, and it’s up to me to convince them that I can deliver the goods. I see my employers as my clients. I find that learning how to provide what people want/need, adapt, and learn new skills is the best way to stay in income.
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I think one thing that matters in the decision to join a union or not in Switzerland is a question of mindset. Unions use their bargaining power to negociate better framework contracts and collective agreement for their branch. Higher pay, more benefits, that have to be applied by all actors.
Being a member of a union isn’t mandatory but if that’s something you want to support, being a member is one way to do it.