Today, Swiss voted on a reform of the Swiss pension system, which included a plan to raise VAT, and a government counterproposal on a Swiss Farmers’ Union initiative calling for increased subsidies and trade protection for Swiss farmers, dubbed the food security initiative. The food security vote was accepted by 78.7% of voters, while the […]
Illegal workers cost Swiss social security 320 million, according to estimate
Many people employed in Swiss homes are undeclared. According to one estimate the amount of unpaid social security taxes on the total paid to these people could be as high as CHF 320 million a year. Quitt.ch, a company that helps people with the administration around employing home help, reckons between 200,000 and 250,000 of […]
Geneva restaurant bans kids under four
A restaurant in Geneva decided that it didn’t want children under the age of four coming through its doors at certain times. Geneva’s restaurant and hotel association hit back. Laurent Terlinchamp, from the association, said: “We live in a mad world. I have never seen anything like this before.”, reported 20 Minutes. Adding that he was […]
Swiss food security – vote this weekend
This Sunday, Swiss voters will decide the fate of a proposed change to the constitution on food security. The text is the government’s response to an earlier proposal by the Swiss Farmers’ Union, which demanded farmers receive greater financial support, and better shielding from foreign food imports. The proposal now before voters, which was sufficient […]
Meet Switzerland’s newest federal councillor
Yesterday, Switzerland’s federal assembly elected Ignazio Cassis as the federal council replacement to Didier Burkhalter, who resigned in June this year. Cassis was chosen by a majority of the federal assembly over Pierre Maudet (Geneva) and Isabelle Moret (Vaud) in a tightly contested race, receiving 125 of 244 valid votes in the second round. Cassis, a […]
Swiss voters to decide on controversial pension reform
On 24 September 2017, the Swiss electorate will vote on whether to accept a package of pension reforms. Switzerland has a pension system with three parts. The first is a universal monthly payment funded by the social security system. Compulsory deductions from the salaries of those working fund payments to current retirees. This is known […]
Swiss launches multi-flight subscriptions from Geneva
Swiss has launched multi-flight tickets from Geneva airport. The new test product was launched on 20 September 2017. The offer is a use it of lose it type deal. Any unused flights cannot be refunded, transferred or credited. Owned by the Lufthansa, Switzerland’s flag carrier is offering two subscription options. The first, the Discover Europe Pass, […]
Swiss cities score well in stress ranking
If you have moved from London to Zurich, from Paris to Geneva, or from Brussels to Bern, then you now live in a much less stressful place according to a city stress ranking done by Zipjet, a home delivered laundry service. If you have moved to Lausanne or Basel, you’ll have to endure the stress […]
Blocked Geneva toilets full of 500 euro notes
The discovery of 500 euro notes blocking toilets in Geneva has made for easy headlines. A Bloomberg article opened with the line “Talk about money down the drain.” The notes were first discovered several months ago in a bathroom close to a bank vault at a Geneva branch of the bank UBS, according to the newspaper Tribune […]
Swiss canton of St Gallen bans full veil
Tribune de Genève. Yesterday, the cantonal parliament of St. Gallen adopted a law banning the covering of faces in public spaces. The law, aimed at those who threaten public security and religious and social peace, follows a debate sparked by a ban on wearing veils at a school in the town of St. Margrethen in […]
