Swisscom and social partners agree new collective employment agreement

The syndicom and transfair unions have agreed a new collective employment agreement (CEA) with Swisscom that will operate for at least three years. Although Swisscom employees already benefit from excellent employment conditions, the CEA offers all employees at Swisscom (except IT Services and cablex) better conditions. Some 14,000 employees are currently covered by the CEA.

CEA bringing improvements for all employees
The most important changes include one that employees aged 50 and over will now receive 27 days' paid leave (the qualifying age will decrease to 45 from 2015 onwards). Maternity leave has been lengthened by a week to 17 weeks, and trade union leave has also been extended. Trainees will now also be covered by the CEA. The minimum wage for employees will now be CHF 52,000 per annum. Employment conditions have also been improved for part time workers and employees aged 57 or over. Swisscom will henceforth pay an employee's wages in full for up to two years if they fall ill or have an accident. Swisscom also offers its staff an opportunity to engage in corporate volunteering, for which they will receive a day's paid leave.

To promote growth in allied and new business fields, newly acquired companies will in future not take part in CEA negotiations with the social partners until after a two to three year transitional phase. The new social plan will continue to provide employees with excellent benefits if their jobs are cut, and will now focus further training courses more closely on improving employees' employability skills.

Separate collective employment agreement for Swisscom IT Services and cablex
The IT Services and cablex business units will in future have their own CEA. This is to better reflect the special conditions of the sectors in which each business unit operates. One important factor for the IT Services CEA is a simplified and harmonised wage system within the IT Services group. The employment conditions for cablex, which builds networks, have been adapted to the sector, especially in terms of working hours.

IT Services and cablex will conduct their own wage bargaining from now on. Both companies will join the Swisscom social plan.

media Contact:
Swisscom (Switzerland) AG Alte Tiefenaustrasse 6 3048 Worblaufen BE Tel: 0800 800 800 Fax: 0800 800 802

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