A initiative seeking a popular vote on a plan to house asylum seekers in secure zones in their home country or nearby was validated by federal officials this week. The initiative, which originates from the Swiss People’s Party (UDC/SVP), would require asylum applicants to stay in these secure zones until their applications were processed. Successful […]
Swiss parliament rejects initiative to limit immigration
Last week, Switzerland’s parliament voted against an initiative put forward by the Swiss People’s Party (UDC/SVP) to limit immigration into Switzerland, according to RTS. The idea was rejected by 123 votes to 63. The UDC was the only party to support it. If a majority of Swiss voters support the initiative the government would have […]
Vaud’s 2020 budget – higher spending, higher taxes
The Swiss canton of Vaud has managed to balance its 2020 budget with a small surplus of 76,000 francs. This is the 14th time in row that the canton’s budget has been in the black. At the same time planned spending is up by 2.43%, well ahead of Swiss inflation – prices were lower in […]
Geneva’s 2020 budget 590 million francs short
Next year the canton of Geneva plans to spend CHF 9,143 million. However, forecast revenue is only CHF 8,553 million, leaving a shortfall of CHF 590 million, according to a cantonal government press release. The canton’s finances have been hit hard from both sides. Costs will rise significantly, mainly due to the bailout of the […]
Zurich city launches initiative to allow foreigners to vote
Last week, the city of Zurich filed a cantonal initiative to allow foreigners to vote at a municipal level in the canton. In July 2019, Corine Mauch, Zurich’s mayor, announced her plan to launch the initiative. If the initiative is successful foreign residents with B or C permits who have lived in Zurich for at […]
Suspected welfare cheats can be trailed from October
Agencies paying social welfare in Switzerland will be able to hire detectives to uncover fraud from 1 October 2019. In Switzerland, between 2009 and 2016, detectives were used on around 220 investigations a year. Two thirds of those trailed were found guilty of fraud. In 2016, the European court of human rights ruled that accident […]
EU court rejects Swiss union criticism
Criticism of the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) by Swiss unions intensified in 2007 after the Court ruled against workers in the Laval case in Sweden. Latvian workers were being paid less than the minimum wage on a construction site in Sweden. In protest, local workers blockaded the site. However, the CJEU […]
Drug addicts entitled to disability welfare, rules Switzerland’s highest court
Until recently, Swiss case law placed the responsibility for drug addiction on the drug user. Drug addicts only qualified for disability welfare if their addiction was connected with an illness or accident. A recent ruling on a case by the Federal Tribunal, Switzerland’s highest court, changes this. The case involved a man in Zurich dependent […]
Retirement age to rise for women in Switzerland
The Swiss government has been looking at measures to shore up the finances of Switzerland’s pension system for some time. The difference between the official retirement age for women (64) and men (65) is an obvious target. Recently, the Federal Council, Switzerland’s executive, said it would include increasing the retirement age of women from 64 […]
UBS warns of a looming shortage of workers in Switzerland
The Swiss bank UBS estimates there could be a shortfall of 500,000 workers in Switzerland in the coming 10 years as the baby boomer generation retires. However, the bank predicts the shortfall will not be even across all industries. Some sectors are expected to stagnate. Workers in these industries might find it harder to find […]
