Internal: Archive

Serono strikers vow to continue protest

This content was published on Jun 20, 2012 Activists demonstrated at the entrance to the headquarters of Serono on Wednesday to put pressure on the management of Serono’s owners, the German drug and chemical maker Merck, and the Geneva authorities. The Unia trade union said the protests “had slowed down considerably” the company’s daily business. Staff voted to continue the action on Thursday…

Switzerland: We look after our own

This content was published on Jun 19, 2012 “To my knowledge, we are one of the rare countries which delivers welfare assistance of this kind to their citizens living in foreign countries,” said Sandro Monti, head of the Social Assistance Unit for Swiss Abroad (ASE) within the Federal Justice Office. “Sure, other states also help their citizens in need when abroad but it’s…

Should governments provide aid for expats?

This content was published on Jun 19, 2012 In Switzerland’s case, some 30,000 Swiss leave their homeland every year – the vast majority of whom return under their own steam, in their own time. And for the others, some of whom fall on hard times in their adopted countries, the Swiss government is obliged by law to provide them with financial welfare and…

Blast secures key north-south railway line

This content was published on Jun 18, 2012 Around 2,500 cubic metres of rock were dynamited in a controlled explosion. Swiss television showed these images of the blast operation on Monday. (SF/swissinfo.ch)

Retailers use families to bypass work law

This content was published on Jun 18, 2012 It’s a hot sunny day in June and hardly anyone is doing a big shop. Most of the people in the Basel store on the corner of Güterstrasse and Tiersteinallee are picking up only small things: vegetables, muesli, bread or milk. “Monday-Saturday, 6am-10pm; Sunday 7am-10pm,” is displayed in large print in the window. The long…

Store opening hours: a regular vote topic

This content was published on Jun 18, 2012 Not being able to buy groceries because the shops are closed on Sundays and during the week after 6.30pm in many places in Switzerland has surprised and irritated many visitors. But Eva Geel of the Unia trade union sees things differently. “Switzerland has not gone along with the mistaken developments in other countries,” she told…

Greek euro exit could devastate Swiss economy

This content was published on Jun 16, 2012 The Swiss economy would derail further if other states withdraw from the euro, BAK Basel has warned. In the worst case scenario, Swiss economic growth could lag four per cent behind its normal path in the next four years. Faced with an unsustainable mountain of debt and rocketing unemployment, Greece was forced to impose savage…

Why are Japanese buying Swiss companies?

This content was published on Jun 15, 2012 The Japanese economy is currently suffering from the effects of the Tohoku earthquake of 2011 as well as from the strength of the yen. Nevertheless Japanese conglomerates are investing more and more in Swiss companies. As early as 2009, the Japanese conglomerate Mitsubishi took over the biggest Swiss plastics manufacturer Quadrant, followed in 2011 by…

Banks perilously exposed to market downturn

This content was published on Jun 14, 2012 The two big banks, UBS and particularly Credit Suisse, should speed up the process of cutting risk and build up more secure capital buffers. And smaller institutions continue to dip their fingers too deeply into the home mortgage market despite previous warnings. The Swiss National Bank’s (SNB) annual financial stability report, issued on Thursday, has…

Former SNB chief hired by BlackRock

This content was published on Jun 13, 2012 Based in London, Hildebrand will look after institutional clients in Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia from October, a company statement said. In recent years BlackRock has become the world’s largest asset manager with some $3.68 trillion directly under management. Hildebrand resigned from the SNB in January after emails cast doubt on his claims…

Internal: Archive

Popular Stories

Most Discussed

Internal: Archive

More

Serono strikers vow to continue protest

More

Switzerland: We look after our own

More

Should governments provide aid for expats?

More

Blast secures key north-south railway line

More

Retailers use families to bypass work law

More

Store opening hours: a regular vote topic

More

Greek euro exit could devastate Swiss economy

More

Why are Japanese buying Swiss companies?

More

Banks perilously exposed to market downturn

More

Former SNB chief hired by BlackRock

Popular Stories

Most Discussed