SEV-GATA Special Member Mail 2026_06_18
CLA 2027 Swiss Ground Staff: Our Petition Is Having an Impact!
Esteemed colleagues,
Swiss now appears to be recognising the reality: without significant improvements in the 2027 Collective Labour Agreement (CLA), social peace and reliable air transport operations are at risk.
The negotiating delegation took on board the message from the previous Sounding Board (SB). On the eve of the latest round of negotiations, the petition “Enough Is Enough – It’s Our Turn Now!” was formally handed over to CEO Jens Fehlinger and Swiss chief negotiator Thomas Baumann.
The negotiations proved difficult. It was a lengthy struggle to find workable solutions. Following several interruptions (“time-outs”), a package of improvements could be agreed, including the following:
Working Time:
- Reduction of weekly working hours from 42 to 40 hours as of 1 January 2027
- Abolition of compensation days in Technical Operations as of 1 January 2027
- Reduction of guaranteed Sundays off from 20 to 18 per year as of 1 January 2027
Salary and Allowances:
- Increase in night-shift allowances by 20%, effective from 1 January 2028*
- Increase in licence allowances by 20%, effective from 1 January 2028*
- Increase in on-call allowances by 30%, effective from 1 January 2028*
- Introduction of a Saturday allowance of CHF 7.50 per hour from 1 January 2028*
- Increase in salary bands by CHF 200.00 (excluding salary progressive curves) as of 1 January 2027
- Salary negotiations for 2027 will take place as usual during 2026. Regardless of the economic situation, the general salary adjustment may not fall below 0.5% (minimum CHF 35.00 per month at a full-time quota)
* These measures will be brought forward to 1 January 2027 if Swiss achieves the LX targets of the Lufthansa Success programme for 2026 (≥ 100%).
Pension Provisions:
- Reduction of the coordination deduction to CHF 23,000 from 2028
- Reduction of the coordination deduction to CHF 20,000 from 2029
CLA Duration:
- Open-ended agreement, first terminable as of 31 December 2031
Social Issues:
- Increase in bereavement leave for the death of a spouse, life partner or child to 5 days
- Maternity leave: 18 weeks from the first day of employment at 100% salary, no reduction of annual leave entitlement, transferable to the partner in the event of the mother’s death
- Paternity leave: transferable to the partner in the event of the father’s death, extension possible in the event of a child’s illness
The package represents an improvement for employees of between 5.4% and 5.6% from 2027 onwards. Over the following two years, this increases to 9.4% for Technical Operations employees working permanent shift patterns (S/TM), 8.0% for Flight Dispatch staff, and 6.1% for employees in Administration.
The Sounding Board discussions were lively and committed. Some groups questioned whether they would actually feel the benefits of the improvements in practice.
The achievement of the key demands — reduced working hours (including the abolition of compensation days in Technical Operations), increased licence allowances and the introduction of a Saturday allowance — was recognised as a decisive milestone.
A clear majority of the Sounding Board approved the Swiss CLA 2027 package for ground staff and recommends that members vote in favour of it.
Regarding the implementation of the reduced weekly working hours, we will work together with interested employees to develop practical solutions, which we will propose to Swiss for implementation. It is essential to ensure that all Swiss employees experience the benefits of this remarkable reduction in working time in a tangible way.
The allocation of individual functions to salary bands is not regulated within the CLA. However, if classifications appear unclear or are suspected to be incorrect, the review procedure provided for under both the current and future CLA can be initiated. We will gladly provide support, including in cases where years of experience have not been credited correctly under the applicable agreement.
Naturally, the negotiating delegation is fully aware of both the objectives achieved and those that could not be realised during this CLA process. Nevertheless, the substantial improvements now on the table represent significant progress and should be secured within the CLA without delay and without being put at risk.
The membership ballot will take place in July, and all SEV-GATA members will receive a personal invitation. At the beginning of July, the complete documentation relating to the Swiss CLA 2027 for ground staff will be distributed. We are also planning information meetings on site and will be available to answer questions and exchange views. Detailed information will follow shortly in a separate member mail.
My sincere thanks go to the three colleagues who agreed to serve on the negotiating delegation, as well as to the members of the Sounding Board. Most succeeded in recognising what could realistically be achieved now and what may need to be pursued at a later stage.
Thank you for your trust and for helping to shape a strong CLA!
SEV-GATA — close to our members, committed to your interests as part of Switzerland’s largest and strongest transport workers’ union, with strong international connections: SEV-GATA, your union in aviation!
Best regards,
Philipp Hadorn, President SEV-GATA & SEV Union Secretary
SEV-GATA, your union in the aviation industry!
/ www.sev-gata.ch / www.sev-online.ch
Will be published shortly in German / French / English.