ATTAC Switzerland

ATTAC (Association for the tax on the transactions for the assistance with the citizens) Swiss is the section Suisse of the organization ATTAC. It was born on September 25th, 1999 with Freiburg.

History

Parallel to the creation of ATTAC in France in 1998, constitutes in Suisse the “Movement citizen for the disarmament of the financial capacities” with Geneva. It is with its call that a first pre-constituent assembly of ATTAC Switzerland took place with Lausanne on February 12th, 1999.

More than four hundred people took part in this evening during which it is decided to set up local groups of ATTAC for a federal constituent assembly on September 25th, 1999 with Freiburg

More than 4000 people adhered to association since its constitution . To date, Attac Switzerland is present in all the French cantons, like with Basle, Bern, Bienne, Tessin, and Zurich.

Actions of ATTAC Switzerland

There exist officially 6 commissions within Attac Switzerland which organize the various actions and demonstrations:

the first is the “Commission AGCS” which especially coordinated during the year the 2005 named countryside “Zones out-AGCS” on the level of the Swiss communes. This countryside, which was already started by other sections of ATTAC through Europe, aimed at “denouncing the not-democratic character of the process of decision making” near the local authorities so that the communes are declared “out-AGCS”. Nevertheless, this action is purely symbolic system because it does not have any legal authenticity. It is within this framework that the commission in load of the countryside published a bulletin in three of the four national languages called Gats-ette (GATS is the English equivalent of AGCS) which analyzes the stakes of the agreements and privatizations in the public sectors for Switzerland and which was intended mainly for the communes. To date, approximately 90 communes declared " Out-AGSC" in Switzerland.

the second commission is in charge of the annual conference " the summer school of Attac Suisse" , which is held traditionally over 3 days. The subjects of the various sections and topicality are covered there. In 2007, the topic treated handling in the media.

the third commission was created during the second university of Attac Suisse in 2004 It acts of the feminist commission which covers various subjects concerning the women in Switzerland and abroad.

the fourth commission the Other Davos , which wants to be an alternative top with the meetings of the World economic forum which are held with Davos. The commission undertakes to organize the against-top with the World Economic Forum (WEF) each year. The first meeting of Other Davos proceeded in Zurich from January 28th to 31st 1999, simultaneously with the WEF of Davos.

the fifth is the commission “OMC/fiscalité” which bases itself like its groin Attac France on the principle of the Tobin Tax. Attac Switzerland would wish that the use of the taxes on the financial affairs is not only used like a simple instrument of regulation of the financial markets, but also like a first step towards a democratic control of the richness of the company. Attac Switzerland considers that the fight for a Fiscalité direct and right, is a key component for a democracy which could redistribute the richnesses - what also implies according to ATTAC Switzerland, a financial fight against criminality, the tax shelters and the Bank secrecy (always into force in Switzerland). That would be made possible according to ATTAC Switzerland by the tax on the profits of the Swiss Multinationale S. Attac Switzerland says being to the head of the popular mobilizations against the tops of OMC whose general headquarter is in Geneva. The head office of OMC is regarded by ATTAC Switzerland as a place or the powerful ones try to impose the Marchandisation world.

the sixth commission is that of the Public services: It is under the slogan “towards the social appropriation! ” that Attac lays down its policy as regards public services. ATTAC Switzerland considers that electricity, water, health and education are threatened by the multinationals which always according to Attac try to adapt control on the one hand increasing public services. ATTAC Switzerland affirms that once privatized, those will have to generate more profits and that would imply the removal of thousands of employment, the raising of prices, the suppression of the nonprofitable services, the elimination of the social and ecological criteria government guaranteed. Regarded as a social regression, association militates at the side of the employees, users, and of the local government agencies. Attac Switzerland contributes, within the framework of the social forums, with the development of models of participative democracy and social appropriation of the public service.

ATTAC Switzerland has in its various local sections several groups which work on various subjects. To date, it y' has two principal groups within the various sections:

the group multinational and universalization which says to begin actively in the fight against the multinationals, considered by Attac Switzerland as one of the vectors of neoliberal globalization. According to Attac, the multinationals acquired a capacity without precedent in Switzerland and in the world. They replace the public institutions and organize the deregulations, to launch out without obstacle in the race to fusion-acquisitions, delocalizations and dismissals, with like single objective the maximum profit. Attac claims that the consequences are disastrous and are clearly illustrated by the social dumping, the increase in inequalities, the violation of the human rights and the destruction of the environment. The local section, ATTAC Vaud, are mainly committed in the one day preparation of forum on l'" Worsen Nestlé" , which was organized with several sections of Attac in Switzerland like Greenpeace and the declaration of Bern.

the " group; Fiscalité" who as his name indicates it deals with various tax problems in Switzerland. Attac Switzerland summarizes in some points its fiscal policy.
To raise the bank secrecy to Switzerland which allows according to association a facilitated tax avoidance.
To limit under tax bidding intercantonale. According to Attac Switzerland, tax competition between the cantons is the shape of spiral without end. According to Attac Switzerland, the cases of the State are strongly touched by this fight intercantonale what would cause a reduction in the services in the fields of health and the formation as well as the fall of the social security benefits. Attac would like to limit the differences between the cantonal tax rates. Association would like moreover remove the tax fixed prices granted to the foreign rich person in certain cantons.
the Introduction of a federal tax on the successions. Attac Switzerland considers that too many cantons removed or strongly decreased the death duty what would support the richest classes of the population. According to Attac Switzerland, the introduction of a death duty at the federal level would compensate for the cantonal suppressions and would make it possible to reinflate the cases of the Confederation.
a system of premiums of health insurances based on the income. What according to association would allow the most stripped to be to ensure suitably.

Attac Switzerland denounces the strategies and the mechanisms which govern the multinationals, and seeks to promote alternatives, through actions of information, resistances political and citizens or a responsible consumption.

ATTAC Switzerland takes part in the organization of the European Social forums and the Swiss Social forum.

ATTAC Switzerland publishes with twice a year a book on a topic corresponding to a privileged axis of work (to date, the first 3 tackled subjects were Nestlé, the public services and the taxation).

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