Switzerland has the highest wages in Europe and trade unions are doing everything they can to ensure this remains the case - even if it means clashing with the EU. In Germany, they have received a lot of criticism for this stance and not all trade unions in Europe support them. The main bone of contention is a small clause in Swiss law that requires foreign companies to give eight days’ notice of their intention to operate in Switzerland. This gives the Swiss authorities sufficient time to check whether domestic wage protection measures are being observed. The legal clause is part of a series of measures protecting Swiss working conditions that were bolted onto an agreement with the EU to allow the free movement of workers across borders. No framework without concessions Companies in southern Germany, in particular, are bothered by these "bureaucratic Swiss regulations". They want to significantly shorten the notice period they must give before posting workers to ...
