“The policies of the government are destroying relations with Switzerland”

“Condemning the campaign against border workers in Canton Ticino is the most obvious thing we can do. But what has happened must not be underrated; it must be analysed, because it reflects some of the worrying trends occurring throughout Europe.” These are the words of Antonio Cuomo, the provincial secretary of the Federation of the Left, who intervened today in the debate caused by “Bala i ratt”, the Ticino election advertisement against Italian workers in Switzerland.

“Like the League, the Ticino UDC party is playing on the discontent cause by the uncertainties of the economic situation, and the people’s fears over getting new electoral agreements,” Cuomo said. “And these parties are concentrating on two points: money and foreign workers. The former, the capital, was covered by Giulio Tremonti’s tax shield, which created confusion and ‘reprisals’, because it undermined one of the pillars of Switzerland, its financial system. For the latter, however, one thing should be made clear: we want to give the idea that our enemy is not the simple employee, but, as represented by one of the three rats in ‘Bala i ratt’, the ‘tiler’, or craftsman, the small firms that work across the border.”

The Party of Italian Communists – the Federation of the Left expressed their opinion on this matter a few days ago. “The border workers are anything but parasites; they work in Switzerland in accordance with the existing employment regulations, in contrast with keeping salaries low and with the unfair competition that is so dear to some capitalists. The attack against border workers must be fought with determination and unity, and we must never again underestimate the negative, anti-democratic effect of political leagues. Therefore, we greatly appreciate the position of solidarity with the border workers taken by the Swiss trade unions and by the Italian trade unions, CGIL-CSIL and UIL. As we were saying about our government, its policies have fed the tensions between the two countries; the Swiss authorities have announced reprisals, which will end up by hurting the border workers and the border towns. The bilateral agreement has long needed reviewing. We hope that the government and the Varese authorities, like the provincial council, are jolted from their inactivity and ask to start negotiations again with the Swiss Confederation, for a new agreement that takes account of the situation, of the current employment crisis, and of the regulations established by the European Community, and that is characterised by reciprocal cooperation and by the defence of employment, rights and the principles of social equality.”