[Culturechat] Working poor in CH

[Vance Roy]

This Sunday's Blick newspaper had an article on the working poor in CH. 
Some people are always interested in salaries in CH and the standard of 
living that seems higher than the USA. While this is true, there are 
other sides not often seen.

Even among the educated people holding service jobs, etc., there are 
those whose incomes are barely able to support them. The most 
interesting job that I saw was that of a flight attendant on the new 
airline, Swiss.

The flight attendant used as an example earned 3600 CHF net per month 
when he worked for Swissair. Now, that has dropped to 3360 CHF. 
Consequently, a lot of these folks are now getting at least some help 
through social service organizations here. There are about 4000 persons 
employed as flight attendants for Swiss (seems high to me). The salary 
ranges from 3500 to 4500 CHF net per month. There is no 13th month 
salary paid at the end of the year as is often the case. Most of these 
people work two jobs to make ends meet.

For a single person, an income of 2100 CHF net per month is the border 
of the poverty level. This means that the person is eligible for 
healthcare insurance and rent subsidies. A single person with one child 
is in poverty at 2800 CHF per month, and a family with two children 
reaches this level at 4000 CHF monthly.

Other examples given for salaries (these are in GROSS amounts not net of 
taxes and social security):
restaurant worker-3519 CHF
clothing manufacture worker-3569 CHF
store or grocery clerk-4009 CHF
garbage worker-4599 CHF
garage worker-4706 CHF
travel bureau clerk-4824 CHF
lumbar worker-4862 CHF

It is estimated that 29% of single women and 18% of couples with more 
than three children struggle on a month to month basis. So, it is 
evident that those working poor are not all uneducated. All the above 
jobs require special education and apprenticeships before becoming 
qualified.


Vance Roy
gigli.saw@dplanet.ch