A popular initiative has been launched in Switzerland to vote on partially nationalising the UBS Group. For a popular initiative to reach the voting stage 100,000 signatures need to be collected within 18 months. The banks initiative aims to change the Swiss constitution to require large banks and insurance companies of systemic importance to be […]
Swiss workers report fewer health risks compared to rest of Europe
A recently published survey shows 23% of employees in Switzerland reported a risk to safety or health due to their work in 2021, compared to a European average of 34%. In 2021, 23% of employees in Switzerland identified a risk to safety or health due to their work. The rate across Europe this was significantly […]
Credit Suisse layoffs to hit thousands of workers
The rushed sale and merger of Credit Suisse into UBS is set to involve around 3,000 layoffs, mainly in the Zurich region, announced UBS this week. The large number of resulting jobseekers in a single industry is likely to make the job search difficult for those losing their jobs. The mood in at the Uetlihof […]
Demand for workers pushes up EU migration to Switzerland
Over the first half of 2023, the number of foreign residents in Switzerland rose by 47,200. Most came from the EU to work, show recently published statistics. After deducting the number of people leaving Switzerland, a net 9,384 people were added to the resident population during the first half of 2023. Much of the movement […]
Swiss unions demands 4% pay hike
The Swiss union association Travail.Suisse is demanding salary increases of between 3.5% and 4.5%, depending on the sector, for all workers reported RTS. The organisation argues that the demanded hike is justified as a way to keep salaries aligned with cost of living increases and rising productivity. It says that costs such as healthcare and […]
Demand for Emmental cheese falls sharply
In 2012, Switzerland produced close to 27,000 tons of Emmental, its famous holey cheese. By 2022, production had fallen to below 15,000 tons, a fall of around 45%, according to reports from the industry association representing the brand. The force behind lower production is lower demand. The cheese is coming under increasing pressure on the […]
Fury at UBS ending government guarantee for Credit Suisse deal
On 11 August 2023, UBS announced it had ended the contract it had with Switzerland’s federal government that guaranteed CHF 9 billion of potential losses. The contract also required the Swiss National Bank (SNB) to provide liquidity assistance loans of up to CHF 100 billion. All loans from the SNB have now been repaid. The […]
Swiss fact: VELCRO® fasteners, popularised by NASA, were invented in Switzerland
In 1941, George de Mestral, while hunting in the Jura, with his son and dogs, noticed how the plant burdock stuck with microscopic hooks to his trousers and to the ears of one of his dogs. Fifteen years later the strong-willed Vaud handy man had turned his observation into something that would become a household name. He carried […]
Strong opposition to any toll for Gotthard tunnel
The government of the canton of Ticino is strongly opposed to tolls for the Gotthard road tunnel, reported RTS this week. The idea of charging a toll for the highly congested Gotthard tunnel linking Ticino, which lies south of the Alps, to the rest of Switzerland, has been discussed for some time. In a public […]
Swiss Post announces higher prices
This week, Swiss Post announced it would increase the cost of sending letters and parcels from the beginning of 2024. At the beginning of 2024, nearly everything is set to rise in price as the Swiss VAT rate jumps from 7.7% to 8%. In addition, more and more companies are joining the party, pushing up […]