28 December 2020

Member Mail "Swiss Special" 2021

Dear Colleagues

Covid-19 is leaving traces of unimaginable proportions in the aviation sector and, accordingly, also at Swiss.

An extensive negotiation process with Swiss iS concerning "Covid measures" has now come to an end. Swiss has reduced its savings goals to an acceptable level and all measures are regulated by reasonable framework conditions. In this way, the ground staff provides its solidary "evidence" of cooperation to secure the company in the time of crisis.

These are the facts:

• Swiss is striving to reduce costs by 15-20%. This is to be achieved mainly through fluctuation and voluntary early retirement.
   
• ​The additional savings package is bound to the following framework conditions:
• The measures are temporary. They are valid from the end of the short-time work option (currently 1 September 2021) to 31 December 2023.
• The currently valid CLA ground staff (i. e. without temporary savings measures) will be extended by three years at the "pre-Covid level" (terminable at the earliest three years after the end of the temporary measures).
• After recovery from the crisis*, those affected by austerity measures will receive an extra "Covid premium" totaling "guaranteed" CHF 2,500 in max. 3 tranches (* EBIT margin min. 8% and repayment of the "crisis loans")
• Quarterly reporting (FTE reduction through fluctuation, retirement, and voluntary measures, as well as credit utilization and EBIT margin)
   

• ​The savings package includes:
   
• Reduction of the 13th monthly salary by 1/3
• Suspension of the performance bonus
• Reduction of risk contribution to the pension fund
• Social plan:
  • No changes above the age of 50 (including unchanged benefits in the event of early retirement), also payment of 1/3 of the monthly wage (MW) per year of service as before, but
    • Reduction of the age premium up to 40 years to 1/2 MW (previously 1 MW); from 40 to 1 MW (previously 2 MW), from 45 to 2 MW (previously 3)
    • Capping of the entire dismissal compensation up to the age of 40 to 4 MW (previously 6 MW), from 40 to 6 ML (previously 9 MW), from 45 to 8 MW (previously 10 MW) – still no cap above 50 years.
    • Improvement of the prerequisite for the extended notice period by 2 months: either the age of 40 years or 10 years of service (previously: and, i. e. cumulative) must be reached.

This is the procedure:

In January 2021, the agreement about the temporary CLA measures including the social plan is to be drafted; in February 2021, the members get to vote on it.

This is our opinion:

With the proposed measures, the ground staff is making a painful but reasonable contribution to safeguarding this company, long-term working conditions, and maintaining jobs to prevent layoffs.

After these intense times, I now wish you time to rest and may the hope brought by Christmas be with you in the days to come.

Kind regards,

Philipp Hadorn, President

SEV-GATA, your union in the aviation idustry!
Philipp Hadorn, President GATA: SEV-Aviation
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