Swiss union calls for 4% pay rise to address cost-of-living pressures

The trade union federation Travail Suisse has called for a 4% pay rise this year to help Swiss workers cope with cost-of-living pressures.

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According to the federation, the rising cost of living in Switzerland is putting a strain on employees. Their purchasing power has been massively weakened due to the historically weak wage progression, Travail Suisse said on Monday.

Despite economic recovery and rising productivity, real wages have been falling for three years in a row, it says. Salaries are now at the same level as in 2014, but employees face steadily rising living costs such as health insurance premiums in addition to general inflation.

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It is therefore unacceptable for employers to keep the productivity gains for themselves, according to Travail Suisse.

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The conditions for wage increases are good, it claims. The economy is recovering and the price pressure on companies is decreasing. Travail Suisse and its associations are therefore calling for increases of up to 4% in various sectors.

Translated from German by DeepL/sb

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