Over 176,000 signatures for eight weeks’ holiday for apprentices
Keystone-SDA
A Swiss alliance backed by trade unions has handed the government a petition demanding eight weeks’ annual holiday for apprentices.
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The aim is to lighten the workload of apprentices, prevent drop-outs and make vocational training more attractive.
The 176,447 signatures were collected in just two months. The open letter to the government points out that while students get 13 weeks of holiday per year, apprentices only get five weeks, a clear inequality of treatment.
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Two thirds of Swiss apprentices face psychological issues
The text also denounces the overwork of trainees. According to a survey, two thirds of them suffer from mental disorders and a quarter abandon their apprenticeship. Especially criticised are the excessively long working hours, insufficient holidays and a lack of support.
According to the alliance, increasing the number of holiday weeks will improve the quality of apprentice training. “In the end, everyone will benefit: trainees, companies and society in general.”
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Apprenticeships in Switzerland
Translated from Italian by DeepL/mga
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