Anyone who listens to unions might think: the workers in Switzerland are living poorly! There is talk of a sharp decline in purchasing power and a widening wage gap.
The Avenir Suisse study now shows the opposite: Since 2008, both the poorest and richest in the country have benefited from the strong Swiss economy. Today, most Swiss live better than ever before.
Anyone who denigrates such good news in order to stay in the political conversation undermines their credibility. For grouchy trade union activists, it’s worth looking outside the box.
In many Western countries, the pay gap between the rich and the poor is actually widening. Inequality in the US is at its highest level since 1959. Those who live below the subsistence level end up on the street.
Even in Switzerland, the economy is not working for everyone. Poverty is not a fairy tale, it is a sad reality. But those who are below the subsistence level fall into the safety net of social assistance and additional benefits.
And fortunately! Because things are better in Switzerland than the trade unionists claim.