Switzerland: Industrial relations

Updating author: Thomas Kälin, MLL Legal Ltd (MLL)

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Summary

• Employees have a constitutional right to join together in order to protect their interests, to form associations and to join or not to join such associations. (See Trade unions)
• There are various rules regarding collective agreements. (See Collective bargaining and agreements)
• In enterprises with at least 50 employees, the employees are entitled to elect representatives to sit on a representative body (essentially a works council). (See Informing and consulting employees - general)
• An employer envisaging collective redundancies must inform and consult the employee representative body or, where there is none, the employees themselves. (See Informing and consulting prior to redundancies)
• In the event of a proposed transfer of a business or part thereof, the original employer must provide information to the employee representative body or, where there is none, to the employees themselves. (See Informing and consulting prior to transfers)
• Industrial action must generally be used only as a last resort. (See Industrial action)