SBB Cargo: government asks for talks on the drivers' future

The Ticino State Council is asking SBB to open talks on the reorganisation of SBB Cargo. The request comes after the company rejected a similar approach on 30 June.

In its reply at the time the company argued that the reorganisation complies with collective agreements and involves no redundancies. The cantonal government has nonetheless decided to back the position of the «No to the dismantling of SBB Cargo» committee.

In Ticino the reorganisation concerns around forty train drivers, within an operation affecting 200 employees in total. Those concerned face a transfer to central Switzerland.

The committee's proposal

The committee, represented by Matteo Pronzini, puts forward a different solution. It suggests redeploying the drivers gradually, filling the posts freed up by retirements.

Around forty retirements are expected over the next five years in passenger traffic and at SBB Cargo International. Under this approach the people involved could stay in Ticino instead of moving beyond the Gotthard.

The difference between the two options is not a formality. A transfer to another canton means, for many employees, a choice between the job and staying close to family, with costs falling entirely on the household.

President Marina Carobbio Guscetti and State Councillor Christian Vitta expressed concern about employment prospects. The government is asking that reorganisations should not damage jobs in the canton.

The meeting the State Council intends to organise would include the committee alongside SBB. The stated topics are the redeployment of employees and long-term job prospects in Ticino.

In the background lies the role of Chiasso as a crossing point for rail freight. The fate of the jobs tied to Cargo is bound up with the decision on how much rail transport to maintain south of the Alps.