Swiss voters say 'no' to $31 an hour minimum wage, Latest Others News - The New Paper
News

Swiss voters say 'no' to $31 an hour minimum wage

This article is more than 12 months old
Swiss voters say 'no' to $31 an hour minimum wage
A Swiss voter dropping in his ballot in an election office in Bern, Switzerland. The Swiss voted to strike down the proposal for an hourly rate of 22 francs (S$31).EPA

May 19, 2014 06:46 pm

Swiss voters on Sunday rejected a proposal to introduce the world’s highest minimum wage of 22 Swiss francs (S$31) an hour.

The proposal was rejected by 76.3 per cent of Swiss voters.

A series of referendums in Switzerland also saw voters nix a multi-billion-dollar deal to buy fighter jets from Sweden and massively support a lifelong ban on convicted paedophiles working with children.

The rejection of the “Decent Salary” initiative was widely seen as a slap in the face to its union backers, who insist at least 22 francs an hour, or 4,000 francs a month, is needed to get by in Switzerland.

If it had passed, Switzerland would have gone from having no national minimum wage to boasting the world’s highest, far above the US$7.25 (S$9) an hour in the US and 9.43 euros (S$16) an hour in France.

Source: AFP

Photo: EPA

Get The New Paper on your phone with the free TNP app. Download from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store now