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The age-old debate about the legal minimum wage has taken on another dimension. Recently, there has also been discussion about who should be responsible for this: social partners (employers and employees) in the context of industry-wide collective bargaining agreements called GAVs? Or should voters be allowed to set cantonal or even communal minimum wages?
The bourgeois majority in the federal parliament wants GAVs to take precedence over local minimum wages. Now the Federal Council has to draw up a relevant law, which is likely to hold a referendum. But the quarrel over competence is a mock battle. Ultimately, as always, it’s all about the Swiss franc and centimeter. In Zurich, for example, the city parliament has decided that the minimum wage should be CHF 23.90. Too much, as the bourgeois parties think.
Their arguments – like the other side – are always the same: On the one hand, the minimum wage will lead to higher costs, especially in building cleaning, accommodation and retail, which will mean higher prices and correspondingly higher prices. inflation. It is also argued that higher minimum wages do little to combat poverty, as many of the poor are already unemployed. And finally, the most important argument: If something is more expensive, there is less demand for it. When wages rise, corresponding jobs are cut to the detriment of those who are already disadvantaged.
Average hourly wage in Zurich is 70 francs
It could be. Everything can be justified by economic theories. But there is also a moral dimension: the average wage in the city of Zurich is 70 and the average wage (more or less half of the workers) is 50 francs per hour. The average workload is about 1500 hours per year. With a good 6,000 francs a month per adult, ordinary people can start a family, take a vacation, and prepare for old age. You cannot do this at just 23.90 francs an hour or just under 3000 francs a month. As an ordinary citizen, how can I persuade my conscience to employ my fellow countrymen for so little money?
This was exactly the question the Aldi customer in the poster campaign asked himself and answered clearly: “Shops that save wages don’t work at all!” That’s clever: The customer, not the employer (Aldi), is now responsible for fair wages. He takes the responsibility himself and now he can go to wage-saving shops, hairdressers, tour operators, gyms, etc. Aldi customers want to be able to look into the eyes of the people who work for them. The issue of minimum wage is becoming a matter of style and decency.
Does it still matter whether higher minimum wages lead to more unemployment? No, because whether that is the case depends largely on whether customers respect their decency. This is still largely the case in Switzerland. Aldi advertisers know this, they hit the right notes, and they’re helping to make sure this – the decency thing – stays that way.
Source :Blick
I’m Tim David and I work as an author for 24 Instant News, covering the Market section. With a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism, my mission is to provide accurate, timely and insightful news coverage that helps our readers stay informed about the latest trends in the market. My writing style is focused on making complex economic topics easy to understand for everyone.
