Photo: DarrenHunter/cc/flickr
Apr 16, 2014
Voters in Switzerland next month will decide if their nation enacts the world's highest minimum wage.
In a national referendum, the Swiss could make the minimum wage $25 per hour, or 4000 francs per month.
About 330,000 people, 10 percent of workers, currently earn less than that.
Those opposed to the wage increase say it would force jobs overseas and threaten to close small businesses. The union that brought forth the initiative says it's unfair for Swiss workers to work full time and still have to rely on the state to make ends meet.
Current polls show the two sides running neck and neck.
The referendum will take place May 18.
___________________
Join Us: News for people demanding a better world
Common Dreams is powered by optimists who believe in the power of informed and engaged citizens to ignite and enact change to make the world a better place. We're hundreds of thousands strong, but every single supporter makes the difference. Your contribution supports this bold media model—free, independent, and dedicated to reporting the facts every day. Stand with us in the fight for economic equality, social justice, human rights, and a more sustainable future. As a people-powered nonprofit news outlet, we cover the issues the corporate media never will. |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
Voters in Switzerland next month will decide if their nation enacts the world's highest minimum wage.
In a national referendum, the Swiss could make the minimum wage $25 per hour, or 4000 francs per month.
About 330,000 people, 10 percent of workers, currently earn less than that.
Those opposed to the wage increase say it would force jobs overseas and threaten to close small businesses. The union that brought forth the initiative says it's unfair for Swiss workers to work full time and still have to rely on the state to make ends meet.
Current polls show the two sides running neck and neck.
The referendum will take place May 18.
___________________
Voters in Switzerland next month will decide if their nation enacts the world's highest minimum wage.
In a national referendum, the Swiss could make the minimum wage $25 per hour, or 4000 francs per month.
About 330,000 people, 10 percent of workers, currently earn less than that.
Those opposed to the wage increase say it would force jobs overseas and threaten to close small businesses. The union that brought forth the initiative says it's unfair for Swiss workers to work full time and still have to rely on the state to make ends meet.
Current polls show the two sides running neck and neck.
The referendum will take place May 18.
___________________
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.