Strike Thousands of Vaudois state employees demonstrate in Lausanne
Around 5000 people marched through Lausanne on Monday evening to protest against the budget cuts planned for next year in the public sector of the canton of Vaud. However, the mobilization declined after the State Council made concessions.
15.12.2025, 20:59
SDA
Late on Friday evening, the cantonal government announced that it would abandon one of the most criticized measures in its draft budget: a 0.7 percent pay cut for state employees.
"The strike and the mobilization have paid off. This is a victory for our struggle movement," said a trade unionist before the start of the demonstration. "We will not let up," warned another speaker. And added that in view of the other austerity measures planned by the State Council, this was only "a stage victory".
According to consistent estimates by Keystone-SDA and the police, around 5,000 people took part in the latest demonstration. However, this is significantly fewer than at previous demonstrations, in which around 20,000 people took part. In a communiqué, the trade unions (FSF, SSP-Vaud and SUD) again reported a turnout of 20,000 demonstrators.
The State Council argued that the strike had become inadmissible with the withdrawal of the pay cut. In an interview with the newspaper "24 heures", Christelle Luisier (FDP), President of the Vaud cantonal government, qualified this statement by saying that "tolerance" would be exercised on Monday.
With its various announcements, the State Council had "created general confusion", criticized David Gygax, trade union secretary of VPOD Vaud, in an interview with Keystone-SDA on Monday.
Chaos at schools
The situation was particularly chaotic at some schools, which were initially announced as closed but ended up offering lessons after all.
The protests will continue on Tuesday in the Grand Council, in front of which various demonstrations are planned. They will mainly take place inside parliament, where MPs will continue their deliberations on the 2026 budget.
