SEV-GATA on Swiss's 2025 Financial Statements: Ground Staff CLA Needs Urgent Improvements
“Despite challenging times, Swiss has once again been successful. Thanks to its dedicated employees, the airline has achieved an exceptionally good result,” says Philipp Hadorn, President of the ground staff union SEV-GATA. “However, if Swiss wants to remain successful, the company must use its sustainably positive financial development to improve working conditions and pay particular attention to retaining skilled staff.”
Even though the results of the Lufthansa subsidiary do not (quite) match those of the previous year, Swiss remains one of the most profitable airlines and is clearly the cash cow within the Lufthansa Group. When we also consider the fact that Lufthansa has assigned Swiss certain aircraft with very high maintenance needs, the successful work of Swiss employees stands out even more.
To secure a leading position among airlines in terms of quality in the future, SEV-GATA strongly recommends that Swiss improve the attractiveness of its working conditions. There still is plenty of room for improvement when it comes to quality. “Moreover, demographic developments within the Swiss workforce and trends in the labour market show worrying signs for the continued smooth operation of Swiss, particularly in maintenance,” warns the President of SEV-GATA, Philipp Hadorn. Furthermore, he is convinced: “Better working conditions also lead to even better performance and higher-quality products.”
High Expectations and Growing Unrest Among Staff
Negotiations for the Swiss ground staff are currently under way. It is crucial that the 2027 ground staff CLA provides more attractive working conditions at Swiss. Employees’ expectations are high, and their understanding for further group-internal collective liability being imposed on them in favour of other struggling Lufthansa airlines is diminishing.
The imposition of cost-cutting requirements from the Lufthansa Group on Swiss is difficult to comprehend. Ongoing reorganisations and the shifting of effective decision-making power over Swiss to the Lufthansa headquarters in Frankfurt are causing increasing unrest.
Swiss employees are still willing to make an above-average effort. Given there is a clear commitment from management for substantial improvements in the 2027 CLA, this willingness will remain.
Further information:
Philipp Hadorn, President SEV-GATA and SEV Union Secretary,