Who sould be getting minimum wages?

Switzerland – a national standard employment contract for domestic workers

In Switzerland, a national standard employment contract (SEC) was introduced in 2011, setting a minimum wage for domestic workers – who represent approximately 4% of the economically active population. Although there is no statutory national minimum wage in Switzerland, the Confederation and the cantonal governments can impose SECs in branches and occupations that are not covered by a collective labour agreement, i.e. in the absence of employer and worker organizations.

After the Secretariat of State for Economic Affairs (SECO) issued a report in 2007 that documented one of the highest rates for offences and abuses in the domestic work sector, the Tripartite Commission of the Confederation (federal TPC) requested the Government to establish a SEC, including a minimum wage, for the sector.

In 2009, a tripartite expert group was mandated to design the SEC, which – once negotiated - was presented to the parties concerned – including the cantons, umbrella economic associations, political parties, and social partners from sectors in which workers perform activities similar to those of domestic workers, such as cleaning, the hotel and catering sector, agriculture and health (home-based care).

Three skill levels determine the level of the hourly minimum wage: unskilled, unskilled with at least four years of occupational experience and skilled. Skilled workers are furthermore divided into those that hold a federal vocational training certificate (FVTC) in home economics or a certificate of an initial two-year training course and those that hold a federal training certificate (FTC) in home economics or a certificate of a three-year training course.

Source: Graf, Roman. 2016. Introduction of the minimum wage for domestic workers in Switzerland, ILO Working Paper.