Today in Switzerland: A roundup of the latest news on Wednesday
Ground personnel at Geneva airport threatens to strike; Federal Council to find a way to allow some third-country students to remain in Switzerland; and more news in our roundup on Wednesday.
Ground personnel at Geneva airport threatens Christmas strike
The union representing hundreds of ground employees at Geneva’s international airport said the staff will go on strike in the coming days, unless their demands for higher pension contributions are met by the management.
If it does take place, the industrial action would significantly disrupt airport operations during the busy holiday season.
Last-resort negotiations between the union and management are scheduled for tomorrow.
MPs want to find solutions to let third-country graduates remain in Switzerland
Parliamentary debate about allowing students from non-EU /EFTA nations who graduate from Swiss universities with a degree in a field suffering from a shortage of qualified professionals to stay in the country is continuing.
In September, the project hit a setback when MPs realised no legal basis exists to allow foreigners subject to quotas to live indefinitely in Switzerland.
On Tuesday, the National Council decided that it is up to the Federal Council, and not the parliament, to tackle this problem from the constitutional point of view.
According to the Justice Ministry, exemptions could be granted to a limited number of qualifying non-EU graduates.
READ ALSO: Why has the move to let non-EU graduates stay in Switzerland stalled?
Public transport commuters could be charged per kilometre
The SwissPass Alliance will launch the ‘myRIDE' project in March 2024, where tickets will be replaced by a rate based on kilometres traveled, and a mobile application that records each journey.
This method will allow passengers flexibility to travel without prior ticket purchase on the entire network covered by the general subscription (GA).
This way, commuters will “no longer pay for tickets, but just for the mobility,” according to Andreas Fuhrer, head of the myRIDE programme.
New cross-border commuter data released
Currently 391,134 cross-border workers are employed in all regions of Switzerland — 4.4 percent more than at the same time in 2023.
This is what emerges from new figures released by the Federal Statistical Office on Tuesday.
Most (220,495) come from France, followed by Italy (93,091), Germany (64,934), and Austria (8,813)
Only a handful (692) are from Liechtenstein.
In terms of regions, most cross-border commuters (153,956) are employed in the Lake Geneva region.
Next is Ticino (79,664), Northwestern Switzerland (74, 417), and the Mittelland (36,099).
You can see all the relevant statistics here.
READ ALSO: Who can work in Switzerland but live in a neighbouring country?
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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Ground personnel at Geneva airport threatens Christmas strike
The union representing hundreds of ground employees at Geneva’s international airport said the staff will go on strike in the coming days, unless their demands for higher pension contributions are met by the management.
If it does take place, the industrial action would significantly disrupt airport operations during the busy holiday season.
Last-resort negotiations between the union and management are scheduled for tomorrow.
MPs want to find solutions to let third-country graduates remain in Switzerland
Parliamentary debate about allowing students from non-EU /EFTA nations who graduate from Swiss universities with a degree in a field suffering from a shortage of qualified professionals to stay in the country is continuing.
In September, the project hit a setback when MPs realised no legal basis exists to allow foreigners subject to quotas to live indefinitely in Switzerland.
On Tuesday, the National Council decided that it is up to the Federal Council, and not the parliament, to tackle this problem from the constitutional point of view.
According to the Justice Ministry, exemptions could be granted to a limited number of qualifying non-EU graduates.
READ ALSO: Why has the move to let non-EU graduates stay in Switzerland stalled?
Public transport commuters could be charged per kilometre
The SwissPass Alliance will launch the ‘myRIDE' project in March 2024, where tickets will be replaced by a rate based on kilometres traveled, and a mobile application that records each journey.
This method will allow passengers flexibility to travel without prior ticket purchase on the entire network covered by the general subscription (GA).
This way, commuters will “no longer pay for tickets, but just for the mobility,” according to Andreas Fuhrer, head of the myRIDE programme.
New cross-border commuter data released
Currently 391,134 cross-border workers are employed in all regions of Switzerland — 4.4 percent more than at the same time in 2023.
This is what emerges from new figures released by the Federal Statistical Office on Tuesday.
Most (220,495) come from France, followed by Italy (93,091), Germany (64,934), and Austria (8,813)
Only a handful (692) are from Liechtenstein.
In terms of regions, most cross-border commuters (153,956) are employed in the Lake Geneva region.
Next is Ticino (79,664), Northwestern Switzerland (74, 417), and the Mittelland (36,099).
You can see all the relevant statistics here.
READ ALSO: Who can work in Switzerland but live in a neighbouring country?
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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