Over the weekend, 40 new Swiss guards were sworn in at the Vatican in Rome. They swore to sacrifice their own lives to protect the life of the Pope if required. Pontifical Swiss Guards have served since 1506. The new guards swore to “…faithfully, loyally and honorably serve the Supreme Pontiff Francis and his legitimate successors, […]
Archives for 2017
Swiss wine consumption declines to 40 bottles per person
Swiss Federal Office for Agriculture (FOAG) statistics show a decline in Swiss wine consumption in 2016. Swiss residents consumed less rosé, less white and less red wine. Total consumption in 2016 was 253 million litres, down from 262 million litres in 2015, a drop of 4%. This follows drops of 2% in 2014 and 1% in […]
Easyjet expands in Geneva adding a new aircraft
20 Minutes. On Friday, Easyjet added a 14th aircraft to its Geneva-based fleet. The new Airbus A320 will allow it to add new destinations. The new aircraft will create 36 new jobs on top of the current 500 at the airline’s Geneva base, Thomas Haagensen, Easyjet’s director of northern Europe, told Le Matin Dimanche. Last year, the […]
Canton of Geneva targets those employing domestic workers illegally
Brought to you by quitt.ch Recently, the canton of Geneva launched a campaign to raise awareness of the costs and risks of employing domestic workers illegally, including fines and legal sanctions. The campaign is focussed on explaining why undeclared work does not pay, employing the slogan: “ça se paie cash!”, which roughly translates to: paying illegal workers […]
Swiss leaders react to French presidential election result, some with pessimism
20 Minutes. The French presidential election has delivered a clear win to Emmanuel Macron. With an estimated 65.8% of the votes going to Macron, compared to 34.2% to Marine Le Pen, he is France’s new president. At the same time the election brought the highest rate of protest votes since 1969. 26% of voters abstained and 9% handed […]
Some numbers behind the divisive Swiss vote on energy
On 21 May 2017, Swiss will vote on the Energy Act, a body of law put together in September 2016. The plan, supported by a Swiss parliamentary majority of 120 to 72, and a an upper house (Council of States) majority of 35 to 6, will be put to a public vote in a couple […]
Unemployment benefit scam rocks Vaud
24 Heures. Last week, the regional newspaper 24 Heures, uncovered a fraudulent scheme allegedly involving two workers from the union Unia, which may have cost Vaud’s social security system as much as CHF 3 million. The alleged fraud is centred on the construction industry, where bosses of small businesses along with two staff from the […]
Swiss employees the best paid in Europe, according to study
Le Matin. According to a recent study, employees in certain roles in Switzerland are paid around 50% more than those second-placed Luxembourg. The premium applies to recent hires, middle managers and qualified professionals, says the study conducted by Willis Tower Watson. The report, entitled Global 50 Remuneration Planning Report 2016/2017, looks at pay across 50 roles and […]
Beer protects gut wall, suggests Swiss research
Le Matin. Researchers at the University of Applied Sciences Northwestern Switzerland (FHNW) think they have discovered the protective power of hops. A molecule in hops appears to strengthen a membrane formed from cells of the intestinal wall. This wall forms a barrier between what is ingested and what is absorbed and can prevent the absorption […]
Thousands of cross-border workers risk big bills for health insurance
Tribune de Genève. Thousands of cross-border workers working in the canton of Geneva, who have not yet formally sorted out their health insurance situation, risk getting a big bill. This week the canton made a final call to those living in France and working in Geneva to make a formal choice between the French and […]
