Swiss plans for EU treaty in tatters as labour boycotts talks

FILE PHOTO: President of Swiss workers union UNIA Vania Alleva addresses a news conference as the president of Swiss transport workers union (SEV) Giorgio Tuti and president of the Swiss Federation of Trade Unions (SGB) Paul Rechsteiner sit beside, in Bern, Switzerland August 8, 2018. REUTERS/Arnd Wiegmann

ZURICH (Reuters) - Switzerland's plan to forge a new treaty cementing ties with the European Union has hit the rocks after the normally pro-Europe centre left joined the far right in resisting a deal that Swiss labour unions say might undermine wages and working conditions.

For the SGB union federation allied with the centre-left Social Democrats (SP), Bern's efforts to explore tweaking Switzerland's strict rules that protect Europe's highest wages were a step too far towards the treaty demands of Brussels.