A majority of voters in Geneva accepted a plan to set a minimum wage of CHF 23 per hour (US$ 24.77).
58.15% of voters in the canton were in favour of the minimum wage plan, which previously only covered domestic workers. Two earlier votes on the subject were rejected by the canton’s voters.
Unions argued that it is impossible to live a dignified life in Geneva on less than CHF 23 per hour, which comes out at CHF 4,086 per month for a 41 hour week or CHF 49,032 a year (US$ 52,803).
The Swiss cantons of Jura and Neuchâtel were the first to introduce minimum wages.
Geneva has Switzerland’s highest level of unemployment. In 2018, based on the International Labour Organisation definition, unemployment in the canton reached 11.8%, a rate higher than in neighbouring France.
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