Switzerland: innovative collective agreement signed at retail group Coop

On Wednesday 27 October, social partners at Switzerland’s second-largest retail/wholesale group Coop presented a new collective labour agreement, which will apply from 2018 until 2021. This comprehensive agreement includes numerous measures to promote a better work-life balance, training and digitalisation, as well as a 1% pay rise over one year. The deal also contains measures to combat psychosocial risk factors. There is one problem, however. The agreement only applies to two thirds of Coop employees.
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Compromise on pay. The new collective labour agreement was presented on 27 October, by the Unia and Syna trade unions as well as two corporate associations representing employees – SEC Susse, for workers in the retail sector, and UEC, the union of Coop employees. The deal was negotiated with the leadership at Coop, which is Switzerland’s second-largest retail business, and will come into force on 1 January 2018, applying until the end of 2021. Arnaud Bouverat, executive committee member at Unia’

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