Collective Labour Agreements

Collective labour agreements (CLA) stipulate binding minimum working conditions and wages for entire industries or individual companies.

A collective labour agreement (CLA) is the best guarantee for good working conditions in Switzerland. A CLA provides employees with an instrument with which they, together with the union, can secure fair wages and better working conditions.

Better working conditions

In annual CLA negotiations, Unia seeks to improve working conditions for all employees protected by the respective CLA (pay raises, more holiday time, etc.) and to modernize certain aspects thereof (protection against dismissal for union activists or paternity leave).

Protection for around 1.2 million workers

Unia maintains roughliy 240 collective labour agreements with employers, offering protection to around 1.2 million workers. Because CLAs define a minimum wage, they particularly protect low and medium wages. This is how we are able to safeguard against unfair pay cuts and prevent wage discrimination for women.