Unions now demand 2% pay rise as Swiss 2027 salary talks continue

Many expats living in Switzerland may be keeping a keen eye on the ongoing debate over Swiss salary expectations for 2027. Trade union Travail.Suisse has now called for a 2 percent increase in wages next year. 

Trade unions demand a 2 percent pay rise in Switzerland for 2027

After the Swiss Employees Association (Angestellte Schweiz) called on employers in Switzerland to increase average wages by 1,5 percent in 2027, the umbrella Swiss trade union Travail.Suisse is now pushing for a 2 percent pay rise in Switzerland.

The organisation, which represents around 130.000 members and all employees in politics and the public sector in Switzerland, argues that workers deserve a “fair share of the increased company revenues”, especially as “for 10 years, real wages in Switzerland have largely stagnated,” stated a Travail.Suisse press release.

The organisation also cites persistent inflation and the rising cost of living, with the “sharp” rise in health insurance premiums being a particular burden for anyone working in Switzerland. Comparison website Comparis recently predicted that health insurance premiums will rise by an average of 3,7 percent in 2027, slightly less than in previous years but still likely to eat into households’ take-home pay.

"Employees' purchasing power must be safeguarded even with rising prices and living costs. Furthermore, employees finally deserve a fair share of the increased company revenues," said Thomas Bauer, head of economic policy at Travail.Suisse.

Swiss Employers' Association proposes a 1 percent wage hike

The Swiss Employers' Association (Schweizerischer Arbeitgeberverband), on the other hand, believes that an average wage increase of 1 percent is “more realistic”, reports Blick. 

"The claim that companies are using the difficult economic situation as a pretext to cut wages and keep productivity gains for themselves is false," said Patrick Chuard-Keller, chief economist of the Swiss Employers' Association.