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Swiss Post and trade unions agree on new CEC
Swiss Post, the trade union syndicom and the staff association transfair have concluded negotiations on new collective employment contracts (CEC) for Post CH Ltd, PostBus Switzerland Ltd and PostFinance Ltd. They were able to agree upon an overall package which takes the needs of both the company and the employees into consideration. The result of the negotiations must still be confirmed by the decision-making committees of all the social partners.
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Each of the three subsidiaries, Post CH Ltd, PostBus Switzerland Ltd and PostFinance Ltd, will receive a new collective employment contract, whose main points are regulated in an overriding umbrella CEC and are applicable to all three subsidiaries. The parties agreed on contracts which protect the interests of the company as well as those of its employees. Furthermore, social changes and the new legal regulatory framework have both been taken into consideration.
The key points in the new umbrella CEC are:
| Topic | Provision |
|---|---|
| Scope for validity | The CEC now also applies to apprentices and auxiliary staff. Employees in higher-level functions (from function level 10) will receive new contracts that fall outside the scope of the CEC. |
| Salary system | The present salary system will, essentially, be continued. Current employees’ salaries will be carried over and the present labour market allowance will be incorporated into salaries. |
| Salary measures | Automatic salary increases based on period of service are to be removed. The equivalent salary total will however be made available for individual salary measures within the scope of the annual salary negotiations. |
| Insured salary | Allowances for work at night or on Sundays, on-call work and deputizing will now also be insured in the pension fund. |
| Loyalty bonus | The loyalty bonus will now be awarded after five years of employment and the same amount will be awarded every five years thereafter. Employees can choose between a money or time bonus. |
| Part-time work for older employees | Employees now have a legal entitlement to age-related part-time work from the age of 58. They can reduce their level of employment to up to 50%, based on the full-time equivalent. |
| Maternity leave/paternity leave | Maternity leave is to be raised from 16 weeks to 18 weeks. Paternity leave is to be raised from 2 days to 10 days. |
Specific provisions per subsidiary
| Topic | Post CH Ltd / PostFinance Ltd | PostBus Switzerland Ltd |
|---|---|---|
| Working hours | 42 hours a week (previously: 42 hours a week, 41 hours in a normal working week plus compensatory week) | Working capacity is 42 hours a week. The normal working week is 41 hours and the extra hours accrued are reserved for a compensatory week. |
| Holiday entitlement | Up to 59 years of age: 6 weeks 60 years of age and above: 7 weeks (The current compensatory week on the basis of a 41-hour week is now granted as an additional week of holiday.) | Up to 59 years old: 5 weeks 60 years of age and above: 6 weeks (each also receives a compensatory week) |
| Public holidays/rest days | 9 public holidays (can be taken in lieu) | 63 rest days (if covered by Working Hours Act) |
| Evening/night/Sunday work | Time supplements and allowances apply in accordance with the new legal basis set out in the Labour Act. | Time supplements and allowances apply in accordance with the existing legal basis set out in the Working Hours Act. |
Employment conditions have now also been negotiated for drivers employed by PostBus operators with staff regulations. These are now fundamentally identical to those for drivers employed by PostBus Switzerland Ltd.
The decision-making committees of all the social partners must still ratify the results of the negotiations. The expected date for ratification is the end of April 2015. The new CEC comes into effect on 1 January 2016 and is valid until the end of 2018.
Following the ratification, negotiations on the employment conditions for other subsidiaries will begin. These negotiations are expected to be concluded by the end of 2015.