Recently founded ‘Sunday Alliance Switzerland’ joins the European Sunday Alliance!

Good news from Switzerland! On 13 June 2012 the Sunday Alliance Switzerland was founded. The Alliance for a work-free Sunday in Switzerland was initiated by the trade union Unia which is already a member of the ESA. Its members include various church organisations, trade unions (both Christian and non-Christian), women’s associations, political parties and medical organisations (specialising in occupational medicine).

The organisations stated at the press conference in June 2012 that Sunday “shall not be sacrificed for economic interests. It needs to be protected as the day of rest and of social gathering”. The Founding Statement and more information are available at: http://www.unia.ch/Sonntagsallianz.6305.0.html.

We wish the Sunday Alliance Switzerland every success in its work and welcome the Alliance as a new member of the European Sunday Alliance!

The Members of the Swiss Alliance for a work free Sunday are….

• Christlich-soziale Partei Schweiz
• Evangelische Frauen Schweiz
• Evangelisch-methodistische Kirche
• Evangelische Volkspartei Schweiz
• Gewerkschaft Syna
• Gewerkschaft Medien und Kommunikation - syndicom
• Gewerkschaft Unia
• Grüne Partei Schweiz
• Justitia et Pax, Kommission der Schweizer Bischofskonferenz
• Personalverband des Bundes
• Schweizerische Gesellschaft für Arbeitsmedizin
• Schweizerischer Evangelischer Kirchenbund
• Schweizerischer Gewerkschaftsbund
• Schweizerischer katholischer Frauenbund
• Schweizerischer Verein Sonntagsfeier
• Sozialdemokratische Partei Schweiz
• Travail.Suisse
• Katholische Arbeitnehmerinnen- und Arbeitnehmerbewegung Schweiz
• SIT - Syndicat interprofessionnel de travailleuses et travailleurs (Genf)
• Theologische Bewegung für Solidarität und Befreiung

Confesercenti della Provincia di Allessandria is a Provincial Business organisation for commerce, tourism, services and crafts as well as small-medium sized businesses (SMB). It represents the interests of  SMBs in the north-west Italian Province Alessandria. Founded in Rome in 1971, its national association is one of the leading business organisations in Italy. It represents over 270,000 businesses from commerce, tourism, services and crafts as well as from among small-medium sized businesses (SMB) of industry, capable of providing employment for over 800,000 people. Their common mission is to facilitate the work of SMBs through cooperation and capacity-building while stressing the contribution of the small- and medium scale companies for the Italian economy. Confesercenti della Provincia di Alessandria is already engaged as strong advocator for a work-free Sunday.

The European Sunday Alliance therefore calls on all members and supporters to focus especially on youth unemployment on the occasion of the WORLD DAY FOR DECENT WORK, on 7 October 2012.

The Justitia et Pax Commission of the Croatian Bishops' Conference urges believers and all citizens of good will in the Republic of Croatia to participate in the widespread campaign of the European Sunday Alliance. The Commission urges Croatian citizens, especially Christians, to refrain as of that day from shopping on Sundays and, thus, at least show that they want to respect all those workers who, due to the weaknesses of Croatian legal safeguards, are subjected to pressure and forced to work without Sunday as a day of rest, remaining outside the circle of their families, loved ones and children.

From 17 to 23 May 2012, the Catholic social Academy Vienna organises a workshop for photographers on Sunday work. Accomodation and travel costs are covered by the Academy. Please register before 13 February at :  gabriele.kienesberger@ksoe.at

More information in German :