Workplace Switzerland

Unemployment hits four-and-a-half year low

This content was published on Apr 10, 2007 According to labour experts, the strong economy continued to contribute to the decline in the number of unemployed people. The State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (Seco) announced on Tuesday that unemployment dropped to three per cent in March, down 0.2 per cent over the previous month. There were 117,915 people on the unemployment register, down…

Funding squeeze could mean less bang for buck

This content was published on Mar 20, 2007 The centre’s Large Hadron Collider (LHC), which has taken a decade and SFr10 billion to build outside Geneva, is due to start operations later this year. Under Cern’s current “manpower plan”, 600 staff – almost a quarter of the 2,600-strong workforce – are due to be laid off by the end of 2010 following the…

Collective labour contracts

This content was published on Feb 15, 2007 These apply to a sector or company and are negotiated between the trade unions and an employer or an employers’ association. Such agreements contain provisions regarding the signing, terms and termination of an individual employment contract, provisions on the rights and duties of the contracting parties and provisions on the monitoring and implementation of the…

Swiss Employers’ Association

This content was published on Feb 15, 2007 The association is the umbrella body of about 80 regional and branch employers’ organisations. With its headquarters in Zurich, it was founded in 1908 as the Central Association of Employers’ Organisations. The main focus is on labour law issues, the labour market and collective contracts, social policy, training and international employer relations. The employers’ association…

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Unionist crosses the line to tackle red tape

This content was published on Feb 1, 2007 In an interview with swissinfo, the new head of employment at the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (Seco) describes how his past as a champion of workers’ rights will stand him in good stead for the future. As poachers turned gamekeepers go, they don’t come much bigger than Gaillard. Previously chief economist at the Swiss…

Campaign for fair labour standards launched

This content was published on Jan 21, 2007 The campaign, backed by Switzerland’s centre-left Social Democratic Party, the Trade Union Federation and Swiss Labour Assistance, wants to put the issue at the top of the global political agenda. “United we stand,” said Mamounata Cissé of the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) at the launch in Nairobi, Kenya, on Sunday. An estimated 500 people…

Is Switzerland preparing to butt out?

This content was published on Jan 9, 2007 The proposed amendment to Switzerland’s Employment Act would ban smoking in the workplace, including restaurants and bars, to protect employees from second-hand smoke. Exceptions would be made for family-run businesses, and establishments would still be allowed to set up separate, well-ventilated smoking rooms, or fumoirs. The parties and interest groups expressed their views on the…

Cabinet rejects idea of flexible pension age

This content was published on Dec 21, 2006 It argues that the initiative would entail an unbearable economic burden and would mainly benefit those who have financial means. The initiative, launched by the Swiss Trade Union Federation, demands that all people whose annual salary does not exceed SFr119,340 ($98,000) should be paid a full state pension from the age of 62 if they…

Strikes could threaten good Swiss image

This content was published on Dec 21, 2006 Swiss workers are still much more reluctant to down tools than their counterparts in neighbouring countries. But a long-running strike in 2006 highlights a recent change in industrial relations. Figures from the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (Seco) show a marked increase in strike action in the first five years of this decade compared with…

Accords end threat of public sector protests

This content was published on Dec 18, 2006 The Communication union said at the weekend it had agreed to a compromise which would pave the way for the restructuring of the nationwide postal network. Senior union officials said protests over the past few weeks against job cuts and sweeping changes to the service announced earlier this year had been suspended ahead of negotiations…

Workplace Switzerland

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Workplace Switzerland

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Unemployment hits four-and-a-half year low

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Funding squeeze could mean less bang for buck

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Collective labour contracts

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Swiss Employers’ Association

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Unionist crosses the line to tackle red tape

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Campaign for fair labour standards launched

More

Is Switzerland preparing to butt out?

More

Cabinet rejects idea of flexible pension age

More

Strikes could threaten good Swiss image

More

Accords end threat of public sector protests

Popular Stories

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