« Decent wages are not a luxury »: National Council is arguing about minimum wages

In Switzerland, five cantons know their own minimum wages. The national parliament now wants to push it off. Otherwise, jobs would « destroy », as a FDPler warned.

The business had made headlines in advance, with a explosive statement by the director of the employers’ association: «You cannot ask employers or from the economy to ensure that they secure business. It stops somewhere, »Roland Müller is said to have said in the National Council’s business commission, the“ Blick ”reported. And Müller continues: « Then ultimately the social assistance has to step in. »

The background to the debate is a revision of the Federal Law on the general declaration of general employment contracts. The Federal Council for generally binding total employment contracts should now act cantonal minimum wages. The total employment contracts (GAV) are negotiated by the social partners, the unions and employers. Cantonal minimum wages are decided in the cantons by the people.

When the National Council got into the discussion on Tuesday morning, everything was prepared for a heated discussion – with a remarkable distribution of roles: the left, SP and unions, defended the cantonal minimum wages, threw themselves into the field for federalism and reminded the bourgeois side from the middle, FDP and SVP of the importance of referendums. The bourgeoisies made themselves strong for the social partnership, which should proceed cantonals. And the basic question hovered over the whole: what is a fair wage?

« An attack on the constitution »

Cédric Wermuth spoke of a “wage reduction law”. If the cantonal minimum wages were overridented by the Switzerland -Werwide GAV, thousands of people would receive less wages in one fell swoop. « How blatant away from reality you have to be to find it good, » asked the SP-Co President rhetorically.

If wages in the GAV were supposedly not enough to live, then « the unions would have to negotiate better, » said Olivier Feller (FDP/NE) on behalf of the Commission. The compromise between employers and the social partners is « a fine mechanism », which endangered by cantonal minimum wages.

« A question of justice »

The Greens, SP and GLP were opposed to the fact that the same requirements for just wages would not apply in every canton. «In cities like Zurich and Geneva, a minimum wage must meet other requirements. Life there is more expensive than elsewhere, »said Céline Widmer (SP/ZH). Your party colleague David Roth (LU) duplicate: « Decent wages are not a luxury, but a question of justice. »

The Federal Council also opposed the template. She is « problematic in many ways, » said Minister of Economics Guy Parmelin. It is the right of the cantons to introduce such minimum wages to cushion social problems. He also recalled that 25 out of 26 cantons have spoken out against this law. Parmelin also draws attention to constitutional concerns.