Switzerland Today
Dear Swiss Abroad,
On Labour Day, people took to the streets in several Swiss cities under the slogan "Solidarity instead of agitation" – flanked by a large contingent of police.
Demonstrations also took place in Geneva, where UN staff used the occasion to protest against job relocations to lower-cost countries.
Good reading!
May Day events and demonstrations took place today under the slogan “Solidarity instead of agitation”. Trade unions called on the public to mobilise against far-right movements.
Swiss public broadcaster, SRF looked back today on the first ever May Day demonstrations, held in Chicago in 1886. What began as a strike for higher wages ended in tragedy three days later, with a bomb attack and twelve deaths. The perpetrator was never found, and several strike leaders were sentenced to death – sparking protests across global labour movements.
Four years later, workers marched in several countries, including Switzerland. Since then, May 1 – now known as International Labour Day or International Workers’ Day – has been marked worldwide by calls for improved working conditions.
Today, youth political groups in Switzerland used the occasion to highlight their causes. The Tages-Anzeiger summarised their demands: the Young Socialists rallied under the slogan “Tax the rich – redistribute wealth”, while the Young Liberals called for more flexible working hours for remote work and a higher retirement age.
Demonstrators gathered in cities across the country. The largest official rally was in Zurich, drawing several thousand participants. According to Zurich city police, the march went off largely without incident, though some masked participants vandalised shopfronts and set off firecrackers. In the afternoon, an unauthorised demonstration forced the police to intervene.
UN staff in Geneva protested today against potential job relocations to lower-cost locations, planned for 2026.
The cities of Nairobi, Vienna or Bonn could gain from the proposed relocation of jobs, prompted in part by significant funding cuts from the US under the Trump administration. Declining contributions from European countries like Sweden and the UK are also a factor.
“This is a hammer blow for International Geneva,” the Secretary-General of the UN Staff Association in Geneva told Le Temps. In response, UN employees gathered today on the Place des Nations under the banner: “UN staff are not a commodity – we defend humanity.”
Defence Minister Martin Pfister has broken with tradition by speaking publicly before the usual 100-day silence for new Federal Councillors.
At the Swiss Security Alliance, Pfister said: “We don’t have much time to remain silent on security policy.” While still settling into his role, he outlined clear priorities.
He cited Russia’s war against Ukraine and the return of Donald Trump to the US presidency as reasons why Europe must take greater responsibility for its security – with Switzerland expected to contribute more substantially.
Though Swiss neutrality poses some limits, Pfister argued that the country must “act quickly and decisively” to regain defence capabilities. Alongside strengthening the military, he wants to deepen international cooperation. “Our responses must be as transnational as the threats themselves,” he said.
New rules in force from today: foreign students face higher fees at two Swiss universities and PostBus users with bikes must reserve space at an additional cost.
From the autumn semester, foreign students at the federal technology institute ETH Zurich and the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL) will pay CHF2,190 ($2,650) per semester – triple the amount paid by Swiss students. Exemptions apply to students from Liechtenstein and those who completed their second-level schooling while living in Switzerland. Students from the EU are likely to be exempt in future, as Switzerland has committed to equal treatment in ongoing EU negotiations.
Another change affects transport companies: they must now provide clearer proof of having registered offices in Switzerland. The rule change is intended to prevent foreign hauliers from establishing letterbox firms in order to circumvent cabotage rules.
Cyclists will also see changes: from May to October, PostBus users must now reserve bike spaces on busy Alpine routes, such as those in Graubünden and Valais. The additional cost: CHF2 ($2.40) on top of a standard bike ticket.
Translated from German using DeepL/amva
In compliance with the JTI standards
More: SWI swissinfo.ch certified by the Journalism Trust Initiative
