Today in Switzerland: A roundup of the latest news on Wednesday
The Swiss are facing steeper costs of living as prices rise; wage dumping is discovered in some sectors; and other news in our roundup on Wednesday.
Switzerland’s population is facing massive hikes in the cost of living
Prices of many services are set to become more expensive in Switzerland in the near future: not only are health insurance premiums expected to rise by 6 percent on average — with some forecasts even predicting a 10-percent increase — but other costs will soar as well.
For instance, an average family with two children may have to spend over 2,600 francs per year just for essential services, such as health insurance, rent, electricity, and public transport, among other fixed expenditures.
Right-wingers want to prevent Ukraine’s president from speaking to Swiss parliament
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky will address both chambers of Switzerland's parliament, via videoconference, on June 15th.
While most MPs are looking forward to hearing Zelensky's remarks, others are not as enthusiastic.
In particular, the right-wing Swiss People’s Party (SVP) has filed a motion to stop Zelensky from addressing the elected officials, arguing that allowing him to do so would violate the principle of neutrality.
“Of course, we understand that President Zelensky wants to mobilise everything for Ukraine — money, weapons and other support,” he party said.
But enabling him to speak to the parliament would "harm the credibility of Switzerland,” the SVP added.
On the other side of the political spectrum, however, Cédric Wermuth, co-president of the Social Democratic party, responded that SVP’s position smacks of “moral bankruptcy.”
Wage dumping uncovered in some sectors
In 2022, Swiss enforcement agencies carrying out checks into wage dumping — which happens when employers pay lower wages than is normal in a particular industry — found more instances of violations than in the previous year.
Specifically, they discovered that salaries were too low in sectors that had no binding collective labour agreements (CLAs), the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) announced on Tuesday.
The violation rate in these sectors went up from 13 percent in 2021 to 16 percent last year
In principle, employers and employees who are not bound by CLAs are free to offer and accept any pay.
However, if the employer deliberately sets a salary too low because of the worker’s nationality, that constitutes discrimination, which is illegal in Swiss workplaces.
READ ALSO: Can a Swiss employer give preference to a candidate of one nationality over another?
An increase in the number of job vacancies in May
Last month, the placement firm Michael Page noted a slight increase in vacant positions on the Swiss job market, mainly driven by the real estate and energy sectors.
Employment opportunities rose 1.2 percent in comparison to the same period last year.
By sector, real estate specialists remain actively sought after with a 23.5 percent surge in the number of job offers published.
The field of energy and supply is also in need of workforce (+18.7%), along with that of environmental technologies (+9.8%).
In terms of regions, central Switzerland registered the strongest growth within these sectors (+6 percent), followed by the northern part of the country (+4.4 percent).
In Zurich and Lake Geneva areas, on the other hand, the number of vacancies has dropped.
If you have any questions about life in Switzerland, ideas for articles or news tips for The Local, please get in touch with us at [email protected]
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Switzerland’s population is facing massive hikes in the cost of living
Prices of many services are set to become more expensive in Switzerland in the near future: not only are health insurance premiums expected to rise by 6 percent on average — with some forecasts even predicting a 10-percent increase — but other costs will soar as well.
For instance, an average family with two children may have to spend over 2,600 francs per year just for essential services, such as health insurance, rent, electricity, and public transport, among other fixed expenditures.
Right-wingers want to prevent Ukraine’s president from speaking to Swiss parliament
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky will address both chambers of Switzerland's parliament, via videoconference, on June 15th.
While most MPs are looking forward to hearing Zelensky's remarks, others are not as enthusiastic.
In particular, the right-wing Swiss People’s Party (SVP) has filed a motion to stop Zelensky from addressing the elected officials, arguing that allowing him to do so would violate the principle of neutrality.
“Of course, we understand that President Zelensky wants to mobilise everything for Ukraine — money, weapons and other support,” he party said.
But enabling him to speak to the parliament would "harm the credibility of Switzerland,” the SVP added.
On the other side of the political spectrum, however, Cédric Wermuth, co-president of the Social Democratic party, responded that SVP’s position smacks of “moral bankruptcy.”
Wage dumping uncovered in some sectors
In 2022, Swiss enforcement agencies carrying out checks into wage dumping — which happens when employers pay lower wages than is normal in a particular industry — found more instances of violations than in the previous year.
Specifically, they discovered that salaries were too low in sectors that had no binding collective labour agreements (CLAs), the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) announced on Tuesday.
The violation rate in these sectors went up from 13 percent in 2021 to 16 percent last year
In principle, employers and employees who are not bound by CLAs are free to offer and accept any pay.
However, if the employer deliberately sets a salary too low because of the worker’s nationality, that constitutes discrimination, which is illegal in Swiss workplaces.
READ ALSO: Can a Swiss employer give preference to a candidate of one nationality over another?
An increase in the number of job vacancies in May
Last month, the placement firm Michael Page noted a slight increase in vacant positions on the Swiss job market, mainly driven by the real estate and energy sectors.
Employment opportunities rose 1.2 percent in comparison to the same period last year.
By sector, real estate specialists remain actively sought after with a 23.5 percent surge in the number of job offers published.
The field of energy and supply is also in need of workforce (+18.7%), along with that of environmental technologies (+9.8%).
In terms of regions, central Switzerland registered the strongest growth within these sectors (+6 percent), followed by the northern part of the country (+4.4 percent).
In Zurich and Lake Geneva areas, on the other hand, the number of vacancies has dropped.
If you have any questions about life in Switzerland, ideas for articles or news tips for The Local, please get in touch with us at [email protected]
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