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SAir president defends pension fund move

This content was published on Mar 5, 2000 The SairGroup, which owns the national carrier, Swissair, has converted part of the surplus from its pension fund into capital funds. The SAir president, Philippe Bruggisser (picture), defended the move, arguing that the group contributes more to the pension fund than its employees. However, he recognised that employees also have a right to the surplus.…

Maurer says welfare under threat

This content was published on Mar 4, 2000 The president of the Swiss People’s Party, Ueli Maurer (picture), says Switzerland’s spiralling welfare costs cannot be guaranteed in the long-term. His remarks came in an address to delegates at the party’s special congress in Altdorf. Maurer said Switzerland needs to strengthen its economy, in order to ensure its continued competitiveness and to carry out…

Appeal for visits to elderly and sick

This content was published on Mar 3, 2000 On Sunday, Switzerland will be marking the National Day of the Sick, an appeal to visit the ill and the elderly. It is also an effort to hightlight the work done by nurses and thousands of voluntary workers in caring for the sick. The idea to mark the first Sunday of March as a day…

The lucrative legacy of Lötschental’s looters

This content was published on Mar 3, 2000 It’s carnival season in Switzerland, and communities across the country are decking themselves out in bizarre costumes. In the Lötschental valley, in canton Valais, the emphasis is on striking terror into locals and tourists alike. An unsuspecting visitor, dropping into the Lötschental valley during carnival week, might well flee Switzerland never to return. Instead of…

Deiss surprised at Israeli reaction to Golan Heights comments

This content was published on Mar 3, 2000 The Swiss foreign minister, Joseph Deiss, has expressed surprise at Israel’s reaction to comments he made in Syria on Wednesday. He said he had merely repeated Switzerland’s long-held view that Israel’s annexation of the Golan Heights was illegal. He had said it was in breach of the Geneva Conventions, and restated Switzerland’s view that Israel…

Swiss go crazy for pasta

This content was published on Mar 3, 2000 Pasta fever is running at a record high in Switzerland. Last year, the Swiss ate their way through an average 10,1 kilogrammes each, a five per cent increase on the previous year’s figure. The Swiss Pasta Association said the Swiss consumed 72,240 tonnes of pasta in 1999, which led to a 19.6 per cent rise…

Raichle stops boot production in Switzerland

This content was published on Mar 3, 2000 The Raichle boot company, a subsidiary of the Austrian concern Kneissl & Friends, is stopping the European production of ski and walking boots. The decision means the loss of 65 of the 95 jobs at the company’s site at Kreuzlingen in the Swiss canton of Thurgau. The remaining staff will be involved in development and…

IMF report optimistic about Swiss economy

This content was published on Mar 3, 2000 The International Monetary Fund has for the first time published its annual report on Switzerland’s economic performance. The move is in line with the IMF’s new policy of increased transparency. Until now the IMF’s Executive Board has only released a press release covering the report’s principal findings. The report is optimistic about the outlook for…

Federal Railways and staff reach landmark contract accord

This content was published on Mar 3, 2000 Staff of the Swiss Federal Railways will have a collective contract from January 1 which includes a 39 hour working week and a new salary system, partly based on performance. The agreement, still to be signed but agreed in principle, brings to an end the status of civil servant for employees which had been in…

The business week in Switzerland

This content was published on Mar 3, 2000 It’s been a mixed week on the business front in Switzerland, with the news of job losses at the engineering group, Von Roll, dampening evidence that the economic recovery is still accelerating. – The engineering group, Von Roll, announced it was cutting 650 jobs, or ten per cent of its workforce, after 1999 results showed…

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SAir president defends pension fund move

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Maurer says welfare under threat

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Appeal for visits to elderly and sick

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The lucrative legacy of Lötschental’s looters

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Deiss surprised at Israeli reaction to Golan Heights comments

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Swiss go crazy for pasta

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Raichle stops boot production in Switzerland

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IMF report optimistic about Swiss economy

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Federal Railways and staff reach landmark contract accord

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The business week in Switzerland

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