Up to 20,000 people demonstrated for higher wages and pensions in Bern on Saturday. The national purchasing power demonstration was the prelude to wage negotiations in the sectors and upcoming referendum campaigns.
This content was published on
3 minutes
Keystone-SDA/amva
Português
pt
Milhares de pessoas manifestam em Berna por aumento de salários e pensões
The participants of the demonstration came from all over Switzerland, as a correspondent of the Keystone-SDA news agency reported. They demanded quick measures from politicians to reduce the premium burden. In addition, tenants must be protected from abuse and excessive returns from the real estate industry.
More
More
Swiss union calls for 5% salary increase in 2024
This content was published on
The Swiss Trade Union Federation is calling for salary increases of 5% next year to cope with rising inflation and higher rents and health insurance premiums.
The rally was called by the Swiss Trade Union Federation, Travail.Suisse associations, the Social Democratic Party, the Greens and the Tenants’ Association. The procession through the city centre to the Bundesplatz main square, had to be split into two for a short time in order to keep to the schedule.
“Everything is getting more expensive – wages and pensions up!” was written on one of the many banners carried. “Rising profits, falling wages? Not with us!” was another slogan. One woman had written on a piece of cardboard that she was tired of wondering whether she should give up the job she loved just to finally get a decent wage.
“Time for higher wages”
On the Bundesplatz main square, Pierre-Yves Maillard, the President of the Swiss Trade Union Federation, paved the way for the autumn wage negotiations. The incomes of employees had fallen for the third time in a row in 2023. A fourth round of falling wages must be prevented.
More
More
Swiss wage protection – a model for the EU?
This content was published on
Switzerland has to reset its relationship with Europe. A look at Swiss wage protection shows it is being used by trade unions as leverage.
The time is ripe for higher wages. Unemployment is at 2% and profits and dividends are higher than ever before. The demonstrators called for a guarantee that wages are in line with the cost of living.
Fight against high premiums and rents
The explosion of rents must also be stopped by capping possible increases. There is also a need for reform in the electricity market. There must be an end to the practice of passing on the risks to consumers through price increases, while at the same time the large corporations rake in billions in profits.
The joint communiqué of the organisers stated that general wage increases were needed that went beyond the increases in premiums, rents, electricity and the general price increases.
This news story has been written and carefully fact-checked by an external editorial team. At SWI swissinfo.ch we select the most relevant news for an international audience and use automatic translation tools such as DeepL to translate it into English. Providing you with automatically translated news gives us the time to write more in-depth articles. You can find them here.
If you want to know more about how we work, have a look here, and if you have feedback on this news story please write to english@swissinfo.ch.
External Content
Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.
Almost finished… We need to confirm your email address. To complete the subscription process, please click the link in the email we just sent you.
Most Read Swiss Abroad
More
Why cars still reign supreme in ‘rail-nation’ 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.
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
What are accompanying measures?
This content was published on
No one is allowed to work cheaply in Switzerland. Employers, trade unions and the state have implemented a wage protection structure.
Wage inequality within companies remains high, according to union
This content was published on
Last year, top managers received on average 139 times more pay than the employees with the lowest wages in the same company.
Five questions about the Swiss price watchdog’s inflation warnings
This content was published on
Switzerland has managed to tame high inflation in the last few months so why is the country’s price watchdog sounding the alarm on high prices?
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.