Swiss trade unions demand 4% wage increase amid 'historic wage crisis'

By Timo Kirez

GENEVA (AA) - The umbrella organization of Swiss trade unions, Travail Suisse, has called for a wage increase of up to 4% in 2025, citing what it describes as a "historic wage crisis."

In a press release on Monday, Thomas Bauer, the head of economic policy at Travail Suisse, highlighted the rising cost of living in Switzerland, including housing and health insurance premiums, while noting that real wages have stagnated at levels last seen in 2014.

"While the economy has grown by over 7% in real terms since 2021, real wages have fallen by more than 3%. There is therefore an urgent need to catch up on wages," Bauer stated.

To address what it calls a purchasing power crisis, Travail Suisse and its affiliated associations are pushing for substantial wage increases of up to 4%.

According to the organization, the conditions for these wage increases are favorable, as the economy is recovering and price pressures on companies are decreasing. "It is unacceptable that employers are keeping the productivity gains for themselves. Employees have earned these and need higher real wages to cover the rising cost of living," said Yvonne Feri, president of the Syna trade union, in the press release.

Public sector employees, in particular, are facing significant challenges, with the real wage losses in the federal administration severely undermining their purchasing power, the trade union association warned.

Travail Suisse, which represents the interests of around 130,000 employees, is the second-largest umbrella organization for workers in Switzerland, alongside the Swiss Trade Union Federation.