30 years ago, August 1 became a non-working day throughout the country
Published: Thursday, Jul 25th 2024, 10:00
Updated At: Sunday, Jul 28th 2024, 10:20
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Having the day off on August 1st is probably a matter of course for many people by now. However, this year marks the 30th time that the national holiday will be free of work nationwide.
Bonfires, fireworks or brunch on the farm - there are numerous traditions associated with August 1st. And many older people will have nostalgic memories of August 1 sweets at the village bakery or selling August 1 badges as a child. However, the fact that most people have the day off on the national holiday is a relatively recent development.
Memorable referendum
August 1st has only been a public holiday throughout Switzerland since 1994. The change was preceded by a memorable vote the year before. On September 26, 1993, voters approved the Swiss Democrats' popular initiative "For a work-free federal holiday" with a majority of 83.8 percent.
To date, this is the highest level of approval for a popular initiative in the history of the federal state. All 26 cantons voted in favor, as recommended by the Federal Council and Parliament.
Not just a "federal holiday"
Three decades ago, the then Swiss News Agency (SDA) wrote that "August 1 has become a federal holiday throughout Switzerland". The background: until then, some cantons had worked full-time on August 1, others only in the mornings and only the cantons of Zurich, Schaffhausen, Thurgau and Ticino did not work at all.
According to the 1993 report, Ticino voted in favor with 93.0 percent and the canton of Geneva with 90.4 percent.
A further 13 cantons contributed yes majorities of over 80 percent. The canton of Appenzell Innerrhoden (59.3 percent) was the least enthusiastic about the work-free August 1, with only Obwalden (68.0 percent) falling below the 70 percent mark.
"Hardworking people"
For a long time, there was apparently no great need for a work-free August 1st in Switzerland. Even at the time of the First World War and later, the Federal Council was of the opinion that "a simple celebration with bells ringing and bonfires" was best suited to "the simple and industrious traditions of the people".
As recently as 1977, a survey showed that the cantons were also overwhelmingly against a federal holiday. In the 1990s, however, the wind had changed. In the run-up to the 1993 referendum, almost all parties voted in favor of the initiative.
Only the Liberals, who were later to merge with the FDP, recommended a "no" vote for fundamental reasons, as they saw the cantons' powers as being affected.
Criticism from employers
Meanwhile, the Central Association of Swiss Employers' Organizations (now the Swiss Employers' Association) argued that a new public holiday would be a burden on the economy. The Greens decided not to vote as they did not want to support an initiative from the ranks of the Swiss Democrats.
A look at the National Council debate on the referendum shows that even the Yes camp was rather grudging in its approval of the SD initiative.
In March 1993, Duri Bezzola, then a member of the Bündner FDP National Council, said that his parliamentary group would agree without enthusiasm. The previous regulation had worked well. Once again, "regulation instead of deregulation" was being applied.
The vast majority of Swiss people want a national holiday on which the whole nation has a public holiday, said Bernese Social Democrat Georges Eggenberger in the same debate. However, it was unfortunate that May 1st was not declared a non-working holiday at the same time.
©Keystone/SDA
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