Swiss people to vote on pensions next March

Christof Schuerpf

On March 3, citizens will have to vote on whether they want to increase the pension pot and raise the retirement age. 

Two pension-related issues will be put to the vote: the trade unions’ initiative for a 13th old-age pension payment every year and an initiative by the youth branch of the Radical-Liberal party which calls for the retirement age to be raised to 66.

Launched by the Swiss Association of Trade Unions and women’s and pensioners’ organisations, the first text calls for the payment of an additional month of old-age pension every year.

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This corresponds to a monthly pension increase of 8.33%. The government and parliament rejected the initiative. They have not come up with a counter-proposal.

The text of the Young Radicals envisages raising the old-age retirement age to 66 for everyone. Later on, this will reassessed every year based on the life expectancy of the Swiss population. Here too, the government and parliament rejected the text and did not offer a counter-proposal.
 

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