Switzerland's largest trade union is launching a campaign calling on employers to increase wages and purchasing power to offset the rising cost of living and high inflation.
Unia President Vania Alleva warned in a press release that if employers do not compensate for inflation “in full” and do not accept wage increases “worthy of the name”, social peace will be put in jeopardy. The union is calling on employers to pay up and is launching an advocacy campaign in the autumn to that end.
Although inflation remains relatively low in Switzerland, rising prices for energy and certain basic consumer goods are putting a strain on Swiss households. The cost of living in Switzerland is already among the highest in the world.
Low-income earners are particularly hard hit by the rising cost of living, according to the union. Stagnating wages have made it difficult for low- and middle-income employees, as well as pensioners, to cope with high inflation, soaring health insurance premiums and rising energy costs.
The union recommends raising the minimum wage to at least CHF4,500, or CHF5,000 for employees with a professional certification. Unia believes such a measure would be particularly beneficial for women, many of whom work in professions where wages “continue to fall arbitrarily.”
The campaign was announced on Saturday at the conclusion of a union delegates’ meeting.
Popular Stories
More
Identities
Switzerland’s most renowned trans person no longer wants to be a woman
Report finds serious security flaws in Swiss hospital information systems
This content was published on
The IT systems of several Swiss hospitals suffer from serious security flaws, according to the National Testing Institute for Cybersecurity (NTC).
Cost of leisure activities rises dramatically in Switzerland
This content was published on
The Swiss paid more for leisure activities in December. Prices for vacation apartments, package tours and cable cars rose significantly.
New Swiss epidemic surveillance centre inaugurated
This content was published on
The Centre for Pathogen Bioinformatics was inaugurated in Bern on Thursday. It aims to improve epidemics monitoring in Switzerland using genomic data.
This content was published on
Switzerland, as a member of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA), signed a free trade agreement with Thailand during WEF.
This content was published on
The federal audit office has criticised the Swiss government for poor planning of the procurement of six drones from an Israeli supplier.
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.
Read more
More
Swiss food staples up to 20% more expensive from last year
This content was published on
Inflation continues to hit Swiss consumers, with the price of some food staples, such as margarine and cooking oils, rising by 20% in March on an annual basis.
Swiss inflation rate falls to lowest level since start of Ukraine war
This content was published on
As energy and import costs stabilise, inflation in the Alpine nation is now largely driven by domestic price hikes in sectors like housing.
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.