Workplace Switzerland

Novartis cuts workforce by 2,500

This content was published on Dec 13, 2007 Novartis will cut another 2,500 jobs from its global total of 100,000, becoming the latest major drugmaker to undertake a deep restructuring. It is expected that 500 jobs will be lost in Switzerland, slightly more than four per cent of its local workforce. The Basel-based firm said on Thursday it would take a charge of…

Trade unions satisfied with wage talks

This content was published on Dec 10, 2007 Agreements have been reached that will result in wage increases of 2.5 per cent and more for many branches, the federation reported on Monday. “Taking into account company financial results and the gains in productivity, it was high time that the majority of wage earners receive such increases,” commented federation president Paul Rechsteiner at a…

Swiss struggle to achieve gender parity

This content was published on Nov 8, 2007 Switzerland fell back 12 places compared with last year, coming 40th out of 128 countries, mainly because of the way in which Swiss salaries were calculated. The report, published on Thursday by the Geneva-based World Economic Forum, provides an insight into gender gaps between women and men in over 90 per cent of the world’s…

Anonymous job seekers defy discrimination

This content was published on Oct 8, 2007 Applicants with foreign names or who come from another country are less likely to be offered interviews, official data shows. The project’s founders hope it will stem a “social time bomb” of youth unemployment. The Swiss Association of Commercial Employees launched the “Smart Selection” scheme on Monday with the aim of giving everyone a fair…

Apprenticeships bring in profits

This content was published on Oct 5, 2007 But thousands of Swiss school leavers are still failing to find apprenticeships, which is a cause of concern to the educational authorities. A new training scheme is being introduced aimed at weaker students. The study, the second of its kind and carried out by Bern University for the Federal Professional Education and Technology Office, found…

Building workers fight to save labour accord

This content was published on Sep 22, 2007 Trade unions fear that when the building industry’s labour agreement expires on September 30, wages will go down and working conditions worsen. Construction workers from around the country flocked to Zurich on board chartered buses and special trains to take part in the demonstration. A union official addressing the crowd said they were “ready for…

Risky mission

This content was published on Jun 20, 2007 On extremely steep rock walls or overhangs the specialists of the Swiss Air Rescue organisation Rega have to work with the “long line”, a manoeuvre that needs a lot of practise. (SF/swissinfo.ch)

Unions call for “decent work” for all

This content was published on May 1, 2007 It has called for better working conditions, fair wages and social security available to everyone. Unions say these should be the main aims of Swiss economic policy. The federation president, Paul Rechsteiner, said in a May 1 speech in Kreuzlingen that the centre-left Social Democrats, the Greens and the unions had to pull together for…

Swiss diplomats face hefty tax bills

This content was published on Apr 21, 2007 The foreign ministry said about 900 of its personnel stationed abroad, including employees of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), would have to pay up to three times more tax. Spokeswoman Carine Carey told swissinfo that the Bern cantonal authorities had introduced the new regime at the beginning of the year. She said…

Illiteracy costs economy SFr1 billion a year

This content was published on Apr 12, 2007 A major factor is that illiteracy doubles the likelihood of being unemployed, according to a study released on Thursday by the Federal Statistics Office. Women are affected by illiteracy slightly more than men, said Jürg Guggisberg, leader of the study, which was carried out on behalf of the Centre for Labour and Socio-Political Studies. In…

Workplace Switzerland

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Workplace Switzerland

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Novartis cuts workforce by 2,500

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Trade unions satisfied with wage talks

More

Swiss struggle to achieve gender parity

More

Anonymous job seekers defy discrimination

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Apprenticeships bring in profits

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Building workers fight to save labour accord

More

Risky mission

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Unions call for “decent work” for all

More

Swiss diplomats face hefty tax bills

More

Illiteracy costs economy SFr1 billion a year

Popular Stories

Most Discussed