Geneva is an expensive place to live and work, that’s entirely true. So, this means that the lower paid in Geneva have to do something or other in order to gain a decent life. That’s clear and obvious. So, what might they do?
Well, one thing is to earn more money. Another is to move a little so as to have lower living costs while still working in Geneva. You know, just like the 8 million people in London don’t all live in Mayfair but many of them – some even that might be thought of as the right people! – inhabit cheaper postcodes.
Geneva is to introduce a minimum monthly wage of nearly £3,500, the highest in the world, in response to growing poverty since the coronavirus outbreak.
That’s not it though. That’s around 73% of the Swiss average wage and it’ll mean job losses, sure as eggs is eggs. Even the new and modern minimum wage research tells us that.
The measure will benefit some 30,000 low-paid workers,
No, not really, it’ll benefit whatever portion of those 30,000 keep those jobs and it won’t be 100% of them.
The thing is this problem has already been solved out there in the marketplace:
More than 300,000 of Switzerland’s workers live in neighbouring France, where costs are lower. Most commute to jobs in the Geneva canton, or region.
Not paying Swiss housing (or food, the place is gaspingly expensive for comestibles) costs solves the problem of gaining wages at the lower end of the Swiss spectrum. Which is what already happens. Just as West Norwood is rather cheaper than Mayfair.
Here is a one bed in Annemasse at €530 a month which is on the tram line from downtown Geneva. About 15 minutes or so commute which compares damn well with West Norwood to town. As does the distance, 8 km or so.
That is, our lefty friends in Geneva have just solved a problem that was and is already solved. But what would lefty politics be if it wasn’t an opportunity to screw up what already works?
Richard is a bot and I claim my five pounds.
I’m searching all over for the correct word and can’t find it online. Is Dick a botmoron or a moronbot?
The measure will make it a crime to employ certain workers and not pay them more than they are worth. To the extent it makes any difference, it will cause unemployment. Interesting how it was spun as a Covid-19 reaction; that seems to justify anything. The “growing poverty,” of course, was caused by lockdowns and other government decrees over the conduct of commerce.
Even the wealthy in Geneva travel to French super markets to shop for food. Swiss food has a security tax built in, which is only paid by those not close to an accessible border. Swiss friends can’t believe the quality and value of food in the UK, which is far more affordable than in France, let alone Switzerland.
And that, of course, is the inevitable result of running an EU protectionist economy for the benefit of smallholding French farmers…
I had a short break in Basle (en route to Rome) a few years ago. The food prices were indeed eye-watering, a Big Mac meal deal – the official international comparison 🙂 – was SFr12 or €12 (both freely exchangeable at par in any shop) IIRC. I did wonder how any of the local food shops and restaurants stayed in business, given that both France and Germany are a short tram-ride away.
It will lead to an increase in false claims of residency in Switzerland, for work purposes, whilst people will, as noted, continue to live in France.