mar, Juin 11th 2024
Unia plans to take Rolex to labor court over alleged harassment cases and unlawful dismissals. The luxury watchmaker denies accusations, stating it has taken necessary measures.
The trade union Unia says it is aware of various cases of harassment at the luxury watch manufacturer Rolex. According to Unia, Rolex has unlawfully dismissed victims of this harassment, prompting the union to take the case to the labor court.
On Monday, Unia reported “dozens” of harassment cases among employees at Rolex headquarters in Geneva. “For years, cases of repeated harassment have been reported to the union in the Rolex global service business department in Geneva,” union secretary Alejo Patiño told the media. Unia has received around 50 witness statements.
The union attempted to find solutions with Rolex but faced “blockades.” “At first, they completely denied everything,” said Patiño. Rolex later agreed to an internal investigation and then an external audit. However, these investigations did not result in the measures demanded by the employees being implemented.
Around 15 employees reported the situation to the cantonal labor inspection office (OCIRT). The OCIRT then submitted a request for compliance with the regulations.
At Unia’s headquarters in Bern, employees described a superior who had harassed them for years and created a toxic atmosphere. Despite knowing about this, the company had protected this employee. A former employee also reported being dismissed after standing up to the harassment.
Because employees who wanted to take action against the manager were dismissed, the union will file a complaint with the labor court for “abusive dismissal” by the end of the month.
When asked by the news agency AWP, Rolex stated that the company had “immediately taken the necessary measures to put an end to the situation” after discovering “malfunctions” in one of its departments. “The measures taken led to a complete reorganization of the department concerned,” a spokeswoman said.
Rolex claims to have “made justified dismissals in accordance with its strict rules and informed the OCIRT.” The company is actively working with the OCIRT on preventive measures and is doing everything it can to avoid such situations in the future.
©Keystone/SDA
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