The world of work in a border canton (Swiss Press Video 2013, by Oscar Acciari) - Swiss Press Award

Radiotelevisione svizzera di lingua italiana (RSI)

Oscar Acciari

The submitted documentation presents two examples of the challenges facing the Ticino labor market: wage dumping (due to pressure from cross-border workers) and the strength of the Swiss franc. In the first case, the Cantonal Labor Supervisory Office asked the Cantonal Tripartite Commission to make a standard employment contract mandatory for shops with fewer than ten employees, following an investigation revealing the existence of wage dumping. In the second case, we witness the bankruptcy of a cutting-edge company (Pramac, a solar panel manufacturer) that had established itself in Ticino (in Locarno-Riazzino) only three years earlier, benefiting from cantonal and municipal support. The company, 70% of whose staff were cross-border workers, closed its doors due to strong foreign competition. The reports were produced using exclusive news and in a single day's work.