SWISS and the kapers union of its cabin personnel have reached agreement on the cornerstones of a new collective labour agreement (CLA). With effect from 1 January 2023, the starting salary for cabin crew members will be raised to CHF 4,000, all further salaries will be increased by at least four per cent and actions will be adopted to enhance the social lives of the company’s cabin personnel in plannability terms. Kapers will submit the proposed new CLA23 to a referendum of its members for their approval.

Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS) and kapers, the union of its cabin personnel, have reached agreement after robust negotiations on the cornerstones of a new collective labour agreement (CLA). The accord, which follows agreements with the company’s social partners for its ground and cockpit personnel, marks a further major achievement for all the parties involved. “I am very pleased that, with this new agreement, we have laid the last building block to give ourselves a firm foundation with all our personnel groups for the years ahead,” says SWISS CEO Dieter Vranckx. “With this new collective labour agreement, we aim to pay due tribute to the exceptional performance and commitment of our cabin personnel over the past few years, and simultaneously to provide the requisite stability and attractive prospects and perspectives for a successful future in 2023 and beyond.” CLA23 will remain in effect for at least five years.

New CHF 4,000 starting salary and increases to existing salaries of at least four per cent

One key element in the new CLA23 is the substantial across-the-board increases to cabin staff salaries. With effect from 1 January 2023, the monthly starting salary will be raised to CHF 4,000, and existing salaries will be increased by at least four per cent for all salary levels. The highest increases here will be seen with cabin crew members in the lower salary categories; but long-serving cabin staff, too, will see a sizeable rise in their monthly salaries.

Cabin crew members will also benefit from actions to enhance the plannability of their social lives, particularly through the earlier publication of their monthly rosters, under the new CLA23. And agreement has further been reached on the adoption of new part-time employment models, including a ‘Study & Fly’ model that should provide students with greater flexibility. All in all, the improvements agreed under CLA23 will cost SWISS some CHF 100 million in additional investment over the next five years.

Reto Schmid, Head of Cabin Crew: “After some very tough negotiations, I am all the more delighted that we have reached agreement on a new CLA that delivers significant benefits for all our cabin crew members, in terms of both their remuneration and the plannability of their private lives.”

The full provisions of the new CLA23 will be fleshed out between now and the end of this year. The proposed new agreement will then be put to kapers members for their referendum approval.