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Switzerland Today
Dear Swiss abroad,
Time and again in our daily journalistic work we hear reports of traditional Swiss companies that have to outsource production abroad or shut down completely.
The latest case: Hero, well-known for its jams and preserves, is giving up production in Switzerland. However, it has now been announced that its factory will be taken over by another Swiss brand. Ricola, the maker of the Swiss Alps’ best-known cough sweets, is doing such good business around the world that it now wants to expand production.
Best wishes from Bern!
From jam to cough sweets: Ricola takes over Hero’s production plant.
Do you like Ricola? Are the cough sweets with the Alpine twist even available where you live? Business is booming for the traditional Swiss company, with the brand becoming increasingly popular internationally in recent years, the Aargauer Zeitung writes today. Ricola is the number one cough sweet in the US and is seeing double-digit growth in Asia.
Indeed, business is so good that Ricola now wants to expand production in Switzerland. And since it would take too long to build a new factory, the company is taking over an existing one.
But not just any factory: a year ago, jam-maker Hero announced it was stopping production in Switzerland after more than 140 years and moving abroad. Now, Ricola is to move into Hero’s production facility at its headquarters in Lenzburg, canton Aargau. The existing infrastructure can be put to good use, says Ricola boss Thomas P. Meier. Ricola’s headquarters are meanwhile in Laufen, canton Basel Country, where around 500 employees work.
- Read more in the Aargauer ZeitungExternal link (paywall)
Turnout: younger Swiss are voting more – but still much less than older generations.
As Swiss citizens prepare to go to the polls this Sunday, political parties are using the last few days to try to lure some hesitating voters. But there are big differences in turnout between various age groups in Switzerland.
Young people are the least likely to vote. However, their interest in politics has increased, as 24 Heures reports today. In the last 20 years, turnout among the younger ages group has climbed by 14 percentage points. That said, this is still low compared to the over-70s, where turnout is three times higher than among young people.
The situation is unlikely to change. “Young people will always vote less than older people,” says Pascal Sciarini, professor of political science at the University of Geneva. Sciarini says that while older people tend to see voting as a duty or a habit, the youth is more selective: they go to the polls when an issue is particularly important to them – for example, paternity leave, which they largely approved.
- Read the article in 24 HeuresExternal link (paywall).
Which apprenticeships offer particularly good chances of finding a well-paid job?
Le Temps today uses the example of UBS CEO Sergio Ermotti to show just how far you can go with an apprenticeship in Switzerland. Ermotti, who began his professional career with an apprenticeship in banking, now earns more than CHF14 million ($16.58 million) a year. Swiss Finance Minister Karin Keller-Sutter would have to work for more than 30 years to earn this amount.
The example of Ermotti is extreme, the newspaper says. However, especially in times of a shortage of skilled labour, the right choice of apprenticeship can have a major impact on future salary. A banking apprenticeship is a safe choice, at least for men: according to a survey by the Swiss Bank Employees Association, a male bank employee earns an average of CHF111,000 a year – for women the figure is only CHF86,000.
Other lucrative apprenticeships include as a computer scientist, automation technician or watchmaker. The latter are still notably in high demand, despite an industry crisis. But even a physically demanding apprenticeship as a bricklayer can lead to financial success, as you can set up your own business without a large investment.
- Read the article in Le TempsExternal link (paywall).
Ex-Health Minister Alain Berset takes up his new job as at the Council of Europe.
Finally, we turn to Strasbourg, France, where former cabinet minister Alain Berset today had his first day in his new role: in June, Berset was elected as the new Secretary General of the Council of Europe, and he is now taking up the post.
Among other things, the Council of Europe is responsible for protecting human rights and promoting democracy. The General Secretariat is meanwhile responsible for day-to-day operations as well as ensuring that the organisation’s resolutions and programmes are implemented. The Secretariat is also responsible for the body’s finances. It’s a challenging task for the former minister – but while Berset never served as foreign minister, he has proven to be at ease in an international environment.
Berset is not alone in his duties as Secretary General; online news website Nau reports that he has some 2,000 employees beneath him. His job includes an annual salary of €300,000, a magnificent villa where the secretariat has its headquarters, and a driver.
- Read more on Berset’s new job on nau.chExternal link.
Picture of the day
The Japanese beetle is an insatiable immigrant that Switzerland wants to get rid of. The invasive species endangers over 300 plant species in the country and can cause major crop damage. The picture above shows efforts in Zurich which involve spraying water with threadworms onto a lawn; the worms are intended to eliminate the larvae of the Japanese beetle.
Adapted from German by DeepL/dos
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