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Swiss dairy producers look to new markets in the European Union

This content was published on May 15, 2000 One sector of Swiss business which is eager to exploit closer ties with the European Union is the dairy industry. The last few years have not been easy for Switzerland’s dairy industry. Milk subsidies have been reduced, and guaranteed prices for certain cheeses such as Emmentaler and Gruyère have been abolished. Above all, Swiss producers…

Trade unions attack pension reforms

This content was published on May 15, 2000 Serge Gaillard, secretary-general of the federation, said on Monday the financial situation of the pension scheme had been over-dramatised in order to cut back payments and weaken the scheme as a whole. He said that, in particular, the proposed measures do not take into account the still huge differences in salaries paid to men and…

Oil keeps Swiss import prices high

This content was published on May 15, 2000 Analysts are predicting that the higher costs will be passed on to consumers, leading to an increase in inflationary pressures. However, the Swiss National Bank is forecasting that inflation will average only 1.5 per cent for the year. “I assume the National Bank prefers a mixture of both a stronger Swiss franc – to keep…

Switzerland marks the advent of summer with a cow festival

This content was published on May 15, 2000 It is a tradition in Switzerland that cattle be taken into Alpine pasture as the weather turns warm and the days last longer. Poya is a festival which celebrates cattle and their new-found freedom to roam the open pastures in the long days of summer. A special mass, spoken in the local dialect, blessed the…

Illegal working rises to new high in Switzerland

This content was published on May 14, 2000 The new figures, quoted in the SonntagsZeitung, are part of a Europe-wide study, conducted by a professor at Austria’s University of Linz, Friedrich Schneider. His research found that earnings from illegal work in Switzerland had trebled since 1975, from Sfr12 billion to Sfr35 billion today. He estimates that 300,000 people are currently working illegally in…

Swiss dairy producers look to new markets in the European Union

This content was published on May 14, 2000 The last few years have not been easy for Switzerland’s dairy industry. Milk subsidies have been reduced, and guaranteed prices for certain cheeses such as Emmentaler and Gruyère have been abolished. Above all, Swiss producers don’t have easy access to the lucrative markets of the European Union. Every kilogramme of Swiss cheese exported is subject…

Greenpeace occupies chemical waste dump in Jura

This content was published on May 13, 2000 Basel’s industries used the dump to dispose of more than 100,000 tonnes of toxic waste between 1961 and 1976. The environmental activists are demanding that Basel-based chemical and pharmaceutical companies take urgent action to clean up the site. “The chemical industry’s toxic legacy should not become the burden of future generations. It’s time for those…

The business week in Switzerland

This content was published on May 12, 2000 Among the major stories: – Unemployment in Switzerland fell to its lowest level in eight years, dropping to 2.1 per cent in April, down from 2.3 per cent in March. Figures from the Economics Ministry showed that just over 75,000 people were registered as unemployed last month, nearly 6,000 fewer than in March, or a…

Swiss are top PET recyclers

This content was published on May 12, 2000 Research by the Swiss PET Recycling Association showed that 83 per cent of such bottles – an 11 per cent increase – were recycled in 1999, making the country the European leader in this form of resource-conservation. The Swiss are also buying more drinks in PET bottles. 25,000 tonnes were purchased last year, an increase…

Swiss go on shopping spree

This content was published on May 12, 2000 It comes on the heels of the release of unemployment figures showing the jobless rate at an eight year low. Other economic indicators also point to continued economic growth. SECO’s Bettina Müller told Swissinfo that this data “is an image of what’s going on in general in the economy. A lot of data shows that…

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Internal: Archive

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Swiss dairy producers look to new markets in the European Union

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Trade unions attack pension reforms

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Oil keeps Swiss import prices high

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Switzerland marks the advent of summer with a cow festival

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Illegal working rises to new high in Switzerland

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Swiss dairy producers look to new markets in the European Union

More

Greenpeace occupies chemical waste dump in Jura

More

The business week in Switzerland

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Swiss are top PET recyclers

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Swiss go on shopping spree

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