FABRIC COFFRINI / AFP
The defenders of the 13th month of retirement celebrate the victory on March 3, 2024 in Bern, Switzerland.
INTERNATIONAL – Small earthquake in the Helvetii. Switzerland, whose aging population faces rising living costs, voted this Sunday, March 3, for a 13th month of pensions, a “historic” move according to its supporters.
According to the final result, the proposal for a 13th month of pensions received 58.24% of the vote in the country, with participation at just over 58%.
They also show that in 16 out of 26 Swiss cantons it received the majority of votes, i.e. more than half, which was a prerequisite for adoption. However, the proposal to gradually increase the retirement age from 65 to 66 was largely rejected with 74.72% of the vote.
“Live better in retirement”
The 13th month of the annual old-age pension, like the 13th month of wages for many employees in Switzerland, was a proposal from the unions entitled “Live better in retirement”.
“It is historic,” commented Pierre-Yves Maillard, president of the Swiss Federation of Trade Unions (SGB), who campaigned for the “yes” vote, to AFP. Because “like everywhere else, there is a purchasing power crisis in Switzerland.” “The standard of living of pensioners is falling,” he emphasized.
This is the first time that unions have managed to push through a proposal through direct democracy. This is all the more surprising since the proposal was supported by the left, but not the right, the majority in the country since the founding of the modern state.
The right warns against a tax increase to finance it
The Swiss Social Security monthly pension is capped at 2,450 Swiss francs (2,570 euros) for a single person and 3,675 francs for a married couple, in a country that regularly ranks among the most expensive in the world. In the city, the rent for a three-room apartment is at least 3,000 francs (3,150 euros). A coffee costs more than five francs.
The Greens also welcomed a “significant victory” for many pensioners. Left-wing parties supported the initiative, but it faced strong opposition from right-wing and centrist parties. As do the government and parliament.
The government said the proposed hike would cost more than four billion francs a year and warned it would require tax increases and could threaten the financial stability of the social security system.
He also estimated that the proposed change would bring limited social benefits to all retirees, regardless of their financial situation.
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