Émile Ryser

Émile Ryser (born November 18, 1866 in Saint-Imier , † January 14, 1950 in Geneva ) was a Swiss trade unionist , watchmaker and politician ( SP ). From 1914 to 1922 he was a member of the National Council.

biography

After the compulsory school time, Ryser completed an engraving apprenticeship . Like his father, he worked as a watchmaker in Biel from 1884 to 1907 . He then was an adjunct at the International Labor Office in Geneva from 1908 to 1920 . He was subordinate to Herman Greulich in the Biel workers' office. In 1892 Ryser was one of the founders of the watch workers' association Fédération des ouvriers de l'industrie horlogère and played a key role in the fact that in 1915 it merged with the metal workers' association to form the Swiss metal and watch workers' association (Smuv). From 1909 to 1912 he was President of the Swiss Confederation of Trade Unions , from 1916 he contributed to the reconstruction of the International Trade Union Confederation .

Ryser was elected in 1898 as a representative of the Grütliverein in the city council (legislature) of Biel, later he joined the social democrats. From 1912 to 1920 he was a local councilor and was a member of the executive of the city of Biel. At the cantonal level he was represented in the Grand Council from 1908 to 1920 . Ryser ran for the National Council for the first time in 1908. In a by-election in the constituency of South Jura , he was elected in 1914 to succeed the late Charles Albert Gobat . He was re-elected three times in a row. In 1918, during the state strike , he was a member of the Olten Action Committee , in which he worked as a translator. In 1922 he resigned as a national councilor.

Web links

• Christoph Zürcher: Ryser, Emile. In: Historical Lexicon of Switzerland .