Submitted by crinadmin on
The Swiss populace went to the polling stations last weekend and accepted a new family-related law, adopted by a short majority by the Parliament last spring. The partisans of the law, gathered under the slogan “Yes to fair allowances for children and youth” had to rescue it from the referendum launched by a corporate union, the “Union Suisse des arts et métiers”. And they won. This is a historic move : some 50 coexisting allowance systems for children and youth in training will be replaced by welfare benefits determined by a federal law. The harmonising principle is “One child, one Allowance”, whatever the domicile of the family and the canton where the parents work. Stressing the discriminating effect of this situation (“Putting an end to the allowance law of the jungle”), the defenders of the law carried out the Recommendations of the Committee on the Rights of the Child (May 2002) (1), that had expressed worry as for discriminations resulting from the federal system, and from large autonomy conceded to cantons in some areas. During this week-end’s poll, the citizens also accepted further assistance from Switzerland to the new European Union country members (“Eastern countries”), another positive signal towards more social and international solidarity. (1) Concluding Observations of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child, Switzerland, 13/06/2002 : Recommendation 10a : “Ensure, through an appropriate mechanism, that national and cantonal laws conform with the Convention in order to avoid discrimination which may arise from existing disparities in the State party”