The head of Employees Switzerland, a union group representing workers in some of Switzerland’s leading export branches, says raising the retirement age in Switzerland is unavoidable, as the state pension fund continues to face major financial pressures.
This content was published on
2 minutes
Keystone-SDA/sb
Español
es
Inevitable aumentar la edad de retiro en Suiza: sindicato
In the newspaper interview, the 58-year-old union leader warned that the first pillar of the country’s pension scheme was in a critical state. He said that even if the ailing old age pension system gets the CHF2 billion ($2 billion) financial boost promised if the corporate tax/pension reform initiative passes on May 19, the federal authorities still predict an accumulated deficit of CHF170 billion by 2045 if no further reforms are undertaken.
Old ways of thinking must be abandoned to ensure sustainable restructuring, said Studer.
“If employees are valued, many are willing to work longer, possibly with a lower workload,” he said. “Most people enjoy their jobs and work in a profession that gives meaning to their lives.”
But he added that certain physically demanding professions, like the construction industry, do not allow people to work until 65. Consequently, it’s important to offer a more flexible retirement age, said Studer.
The Employees Switzerland umbrella group represents 60 staff associations in some of Switzerland’s leading export branches – engineering, electrical and metal industries, chemicals and pharmaceuticals. It has more than 16,000 members.
swissinfo.ch
Popular Stories
More
Swiss Abroad
Thousands of emigrants’ descendants in Argentina demand Swiss citizenship
This content was published on
The latest figures from the Federal Office of Public Health show that lab-confirmed cases dropped from nearly 2,340 to under 2,000 last week.
Swiss cities targeted by Russian hackers during WEF
This content was published on
Russian hackers have targeted canton Schaffhausen and the cities of Geneva and Sierre, paralysing their websites on Wednesday morning.
This content was published on
Paul Hottinguer, a member of one of Switzerland’s most famous banking families, will face trial in Paris for tax fraud and money laundering.
Swiss man who died in Iranian prison had photographed military site
This content was published on
The Iranian judiciary said that the Swiss man who died in an Iranian prison on January 9 had been detained for photographing a restricted military site.
Swiss researchers patent new device for avalanche detection
This content was published on
The WSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research said it has granted a group of Swiss researchers a patent for a device to enhance avalanche warnings.
Berset discusses ECHR climate ruling implementation at Davos
This content was published on
Switzerland has submitted a report on the court's ruling in Strasbourg. Berset told Justice Minister Beat Jans that the Council of Europe is reviewing it.
This content was published on
A 27-year-old ski tourer has died in the hospital in Sion, in southwestern Switzerland, after being caught in an avalanche on Saturday.
Swiss health minister criticises Trump’s ‘rash’ WHO exit
This content was published on
Switzerland has expressed “deep” regret over Trump’s decision to withdraw from the WHO, Swiss Health Minister Elisabeth Baume-Schneider said in Davos.
This content was published on
Job vacancies in Switzerland fell by 10% in 2024, marking the first negative annual balance since the Covid-19 pandemic, says Adecco.
Swiss president meets Zelensky in Davos amid tensions with Europe
This content was published on
Swiss President met Zelensky at Davos. As Zelensky thanked Switzerland, Keller-Sutter said it's too early to discuss a new summit, awaiting Trump's actions.
Majority of Swiss opt for early retirement, says survey
This content was published on
Six people out of ten (58%) stop working before the official retirement age in Switzerland, reports the NZZ am Sonntag newspaper.
As Switzerland ages, the pension system gets stretched
This content was published on
2016 is an important year for the future of the Swiss old age insurance scheme. Parliament is in the midst of discussing the “Retirement 2020” project, and at the end of September, voters will have their say on a people’s initiative that would require a 10% increase in the amount that pensioners receive from the…
This content was published on
The Swiss cabinet and parliament are wrangling over reforms to the country's pension scheme. How does the current system work?
Corporate tax and pension reform: a complex two-headed vote
This content was published on
Two years after a corporate tax overhaul was rejected by voters, the issue is back before the electorate – this time linked to pension reform.
This content was published on
Swiss voters have thrown out a sweeping reform of old age pensions in the latest unsuccessful attempt to amend the social security system.
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.