Swiss Special Member Mail October 2022
Wage Round for Swiss Ground Staff as of 1 January 2023: Considerable Wage Adjustments
Dear Colleagues
These days, the "new normal" in the aviation industry has caught up with us. While the business is recovering, employees are missing everywhere. This environment influenced the wage negotiations held in accordance with the CLA Art. 12.
Demands
Our demands included the following general wage adjustments for 2023:
- Inflation compensation according to the national index of consumer prices (LIK)
- Safeguarding the employees' purchasing power in the face of issues such as increases in energy and health insurance premiums
- Real wage increase of 3%
- The salary bands (minima and maxima) according to Appendix 1a of the CLA ground staff are to be increased by these measures.
Result
In challenging but constructive negotiations, we were able to achieve a result with the following key parameters:
The wage bill is generally increased by 3.3%, whereby lower incomes receive a larger raise, but there will be a minimum 2% for everyone.
In addition, 1% is granted for individual wage measures.
The details of the distribution are still to be negotiated and specified in an agreement.
The "Covid premium" of CHF 2,500 / FTE (full-time position) from the agreement "Temporary Cost Reduction Measures Due to the Corona Crisis" (Crisis CLA) will be paid to those who are eligible in full, in a single payment, in December 2022.
Furthermore, SWISS will pay out the remainder of the "Covid Thank You Payment" in November, totalling CHF 2,000 / FTE (of which CHF 1,000 was already paid out in May 2022). And according to CLA Art. 32, the variable remuneration for the year 2022 follows in March 2023 – we expect a maximum of CHF 3,200 / FTE.
Assessment
This package brings a real, considerable change to wages – for the first time since 1.1.2020 (then generally 1.8% with a base contribution of at least CHF 60/month). This is particularly important in the current environment of remarkable inflation. Although we give priority to sustainable wage measures over "variable one-off payments" in principle, SWISS thus provides evidence that it recognises the need to catch up on wages and working conditions. The SEV-GATA General Committee has approved the result.
Membership in SEV-GATA pays off – together, we achieve further improvements in your daily work!
Kind regards
Philipp Hadorn, President
SEV-GATA, your union in the aviation industry!
Philipp Hadorn, President GATA: SEV-Aviation
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