Swiss union Travail Suisse is supporting a campaign that invites workers to give up an hour’s salary to help young people in Africa and Latin America to get access to education, work, and an income that allows them to live in dignity.
What Swiss workers earn in an hour is equivalent to a week’s salary in many countries. “In Brazil, a mechanic earns about 25 francs (€23) a week,” say campaign organisers. A textile worker in El Salvador gets just nine francs (€8.2) for a 15-hour day.
The funds raised will help young people from poor families to complete their professional training, offering them new opportunities in life. Support will also go to factory workers to enable them to fight for fair salaries and better working conditions, allowing them to organise together to demand their rights at work. The project trains local trainers who will be able to continue providing educational courses once the campaign is over.