The Swiss Employers’ Association wants to tackle labour shortages with longer working hours and other incentives to entice people into the labour market, it said on Monday.
This content was published on
2 minutes
AWP/dos
Español
es
La patronal propone medidas contra la escasez de mano de obra
Around 120,000 positions in Switzerland are currently unfilled due to a shortage of skilled workers, with half a million expected by 2030, the association wrote in a statement.
It added that the situation is worsened by people working less hours due to a boom in part-time employment and various other forms of holidays.
To “increase the total volume of work done”, the association proposes incentives like the promotion of family-friendly working conditions and the abolition of a tax penalising married couples.
Replacing the “marriage tax” – which financially encourages one partner to stay at home – with an individual taxation system could help generate up to 60,000 full-time positions, the association claims.
It also said the attractivity of apprenticeships should be boosted, while the trend towards shorter working hours – especially among academics – should be countered by a system which forces university graduates to pay off study fees.
Union pushback
The Swiss Trade Union Federation rejected the idea of working more. On Monday it said working conditions and the organisation of the working environment needed to be improved in order to reconcile career and family and to ensure that people are not working so hard that they get sick on the job.
Wage increases are also overdue, especially for those with an apprenticeship qualification, the unions claimed.
Popular Stories
More
Multinational companies
Azeri fossil-fuel cash cow brings controversy to Switzerland
Is artificial intelligence an advantage or a disadvantage for workers?
What is your experience with AI at work? Have you already used it? Has it helped you work better? Or has it caused you more stress, more work or caused you to lose your job? Tell us about your experiences!
Swiss price watchdog slams excessive prices for generic medicines
This content was published on
The cheapest generic medicines available in Switzerland are more than twice as expensive as in other countries, according to a study by the Swiss price watchdog.
Nature should not figure in net zero calculations: academic study
This content was published on
The natural removal of CO2 from the atmosphere by forests or oceans should not be included in the net-zero balance of climate protection measures, argue researchers.
This content was published on
None of the 15 major Swiss retail banks is meeting international climate and biodiversity targets, according to a ranking by WWF Switzerland.
This content was published on
Nestlé's new CEO Laurent Freixe, has presented plans for the future of the world's largest food company, after his first few weeks in office.
Swiss foreign minister calls on Moscow to end Ukraine war
This content was published on
It's high time Moscow ended its war against Ukraine, Swiss foreign minister Ignazio Cassis tells the UN Security Council.
This content was published on
The only alternative to the UN Palestinian agency’s work in Gaza is to allow Israel to run services there, Philippe Lazzarini, UNRWA Commissioner-General, told reporters in Geneva on Monday.
Study reveals food culture differences between Switzerland and neighbours
This content was published on
Three-quarters of Swiss people consider eating to be a pleasurable, social activity, a new survey reveals. Healthy eating, however, plays a much less important role, it found.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.