Minimum wage: Employers are rebuffed with appeals
The district council rejects the appeals against the municipal minimum wage. The employers leave it open whether they will go to the administrative court.
In the future, a minimum wage of 23.90 francs will apply in the city of Zurich.
Photo: Keystone
The Zurich city ordinance on the minimum wage was “issued in accordance with the authority” and does not violate higher law, as the district council stated in its resolution published on Monday.
“Permissible social policy measure”
In particular, the introduction of a minimum wage of 23.90 francs per hour “does not impermissibly restrict economic freedom because it is a permissible social policy measure.” For these reasons, the district council rejected the two appeals from employers against the minimum wage.
The decision is not yet legally binding and can be referred to the administrative court within 30 days and later also to the federal court.
A further appeal to the administrative court is currently still open, as Nicole Barandun, President of the Trade Association of the City of Zurich, said upon request. First you have to carefully analyze the district council’s reasons and then weigh up the chances of moving on.
SP: “No more delay”
Oliver Heimgartner, co-president of the SP City of Zurich, is pleased with the district council’s decision, although not surprised: “From the beginning, the trade association was only interested in delaying this hopeless appeal,” he said on Monday. The “wage dumping companies” should be able to make their profits for another two to three years on the backs of those earning low wages. The district council rightly rejected this.
The SP calls on the trade association not to further delay the introduction of the municipal minimum wage with questionable appeals. The approximately 17,000 people affected by low wages in the city of Zurich urgently depend on the introduction of the democratically decided minimum wage.
Almost 70 percent said yes
The SP, AL, Greens and the trade unions submitted the “A Wage to Live” initiative. Last June, 69.4 percent of Zurich residents voted in favor of a minimum wage of 23.90 francs. This approach, which will be reviewed annually in the future, should apply to everyone who predominantly works in the city of Zurich. In order to avoid false incentives, people in training and those under 25 without a professional qualification are excluded.
The minimum wage should actually have come into force next January 1st. But because of appeals from employers’ associations, the city council had to announce last September that there were delays.
Appeals also in Winterthur
Nevertheless, the city wants to press ahead with its preparatory work, as it emphasized at the time. In order to ensure planning security for employers, they will provide information about the exact date when the minimum wage comes into force at least six months in advance.
In Winterthur, too, the introduction of minimum wages is currently being delayed due to objections.
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2023-11-20 16:58:02
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