The employees of the airline Swiss International Air Lines have overwhelmingly approved a new collective bargaining agreement (CBA) for ground staff.
The new agreement, negotiated in cooperation with the unions SEV-GATA, the Swiss Commercial Employees' Association, and the VPOD Air Transport union, is scheduled to come into force on January 1, 2027, and has a minimum term of five years. The current agreement dates from 2018 and was temporarily extended during the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions to ensure the company's financial stability during the crisis.
The collective bargaining agreement includes a reduction in the contractually agreed weekly working hours as well as structural adjustments to salary bands and allowances. Furthermore, the agreement incorporates corrections to occupational pension plans and an increase in company maternity benefits. According to management, led by CEO Jens Fehlinger, the negotiated agreement is intended to reflect the changed conditions in the labor market and safeguard the company's attractiveness as an employer in Switzerland.
The agreement comes against the backdrop of ongoing discussions about working conditions and staffing levels in the aviation industry. Following the crisis, the workload at the Zurich and Geneva hubs increased noticeably due to the rapid resumption of flight operations, leading unions and employee representatives to demand relief measures. In recent years, European airports have repeatedly experienced bottlenecks in passenger handling, which has strengthened the negotiating position of ground staff.
Despite the approval achieved, industry observers point out that implementing the reduced working hours and adjusting shift patterns requires efficient workforce planning. The airline must offset the higher personnel costs through productivity gains or operational adjustments to maintain its competitiveness against international rivals. Retaining skilled ground staff in the long term remains a key challenge for the stable operation of the Swiss national airline.