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Tag: Bauhauptgewerbe

  • Master builders and trade unions agree on new national collective agreement

    Master builders and trade unions agree on new national collective agreement

    In the tenth round of negotiations, the delegations from SBC, Unia and Syna reached a negotiation result on December 12, 2025 for a new national collective agreement that will apply from 2026. The previous collective labor agreement for around 80,000 construction workers expires at the end of the year and therefore had to be revised. Both sides emphasize that they have come together on key points in order to ensure planning security and competitive working conditions.

    Six-year term and new working time models
    The new LMV is designed for six years and will apply from the beginning of 2026 to the end of 2031 – an unusually long horizon that should bring stability to an industry characterized by a shortage of skilled workers and economic uncertainties. New working time planning will be introduced from January 1, 2027. Companies can now choose a model with constant daily working hours and accept more overtime and reduced hours in return. In addition, overtime regulations will be simplified and it will be possible to build up a long-term vacation account, allowing employees to save up overtime and take it later as extended time off.

    Travel time, bonuses and inflation
    A key point of the agreement concerns travel time, which plays a major role on construction sites throughout the country. In future, the regulations are to be structured in such a way that they can be declared generally binding. Above a certain level, travel time will be counted as overtime. In addition, there is a wage package with substantial increases in bonuses and allowances in underground mining, where the workload is particularly high. There are also plans to cover inflation so that the real wages of construction workers are not eroded in an environment of rising living costs.

    Focus on the attractiveness of the construction industry
    With the new agreement, the social partners are pursuing the common goal of strengthening the construction industry as an employer. For current employees as well as for future skilled workers. More modern working time models, clearer rules on travel time and improved bonuses are intended to improve conditions in a physically demanding occupational field. At the same time, companies will receive a reliable framework for planning projects, retaining staff and making long-term investments.

    Decision still pending
    The outcome of the negotiations is an important breakthrough, but not yet the final point. On the part of the Federation of Master Builders, an extraordinary delegates’ meeting on December 17, 2025 will decide on final acceptance. For the Unia and Syna trade unions, the professional conferences will make the decision in January 2026. Only if both sides agree will the new national collective agreement come into force and set the guidelines for the world of work in the construction industry until 2031.

  • Why 2026 could be the year of the construction strike

    Why 2026 could be the year of the construction strike

    The national collective agreement for around 80,000 employees in the main construction industry regulates wages, working and travel times, bonuses and protection against dismissal and expires at the end of 2025. After several inconclusive rounds of negotiations, Unia and Syna are warning that without an agreement, a situation without a contract will arise and nationwide industrial action is likely

    At the same time, the days of protest, most recently in several cities in Ticino, are increasing the pressure on the employer side and signaling a high willingness to strike at grassroots level. In a major survey, around 90 percent of 20,000 construction workers were in favor of strike action if no viable compromise could be reached

    Trade union demands
    The trade unions are focusing on three issues: more family-friendly working hours, legally secure travel times and safeguarding purchasing power. Among other things, they are demanding a maximum of eight hours per day, a paid snack break, full recognition of travel time to the construction site, guaranteed compensation for inflation and real wage increases after years of falling real wages

    The previous practice, according to which travel time is often only partially paid or not paid at all, was criticized by Seco as not complying with mandatory labour law, which increases the pressure to clarify this point in the new contract in a binding manner. From the trade unions’ point of view, the improvement in conditions is also a response to the shortage of skilled workers that has plagued the construction industry for years

    Position of the master builders
    The Swiss Association of Master Builders points to the already high minimum wages throughout Europe and offers automatic inflation adjustments to the minimum wages as well as additional wage increases via bonuses in the coming years. At the same time, it is insisting on more flexibility, daily and annual working hours, more flexitime, work on selected Saturdays without a supplement and adjustments to bad weather regulations

    The association believes that the unions’ demands will drive up wage costs by 12 to 15 percent and jeopardize the industry’s competitiveness, particularly in view of rising construction costs and an uncertain order situation. The association has signaled some concessions regarding the protection of older employees against dismissal, but has linked this to an agreement on the wage package

    Escalation or compromise?
    The trade unions warn that the employers’ flexibility model will result in longer attendance times of up to 50 hours per week, more overtime without a bonus and greater uncertainty in the event of order slumps, with particular risks for older construction workers. Conversely, the master builders’ association criticizes the protest days as a breach of the contractual obligation to maintain peace and accuses the unions of blocking a sustainable collective agreement with maximum demands

    Whether 2026 will actually start with a nationwide construction strike will be decided at the negotiating table in the coming weeks. This is where tough positions must be turned into a viable compromise for an industry that is under pressure from both costs and skilled workers.

  • Decline in orders continues

    Decline in orders continues

    In the first half of 2023, the main construction industry generated 11 billion Swiss francs in turnover, which is practically stagnant compared to the same semester last year. Building construction and civil engineering developed similarly. Accordingly, capacity utilisation is still high and the employment situation is good.

    Lower construction activity in the medium term

    In the medium term, however, the outlook is becoming gloomier. In the first half of the current year, orders in building construction were CHF 0.6 billion lower than in the same period last year, in civil engineering CHF 0.5 billion lower. Overall, this corresponds to a decline of 8.3 percent. Several companies even reported a negative order intake overall. This means that already planned construction projects were temporarily paused, redimensioned or completely put on hold.

    Accordingly, the work in progress has also decreased in the past quarters, standing at 15.9 billion Swiss francs at the end of June 2023, 2.6 percent lower than a year ago.

    From housing surplus to housing shortage

    The stock of housing orders has also declined. The trend is clear, too few flats will be built this year and next. In the last 12 months, the franc volume of approved housing applications has fallen by 9 per cent compared to the previous 12 months. The housing shortage could be solved more quickly with less regulation. In addition, appeals are often used to push through particular interests at the expense of the creation of new housing. SBC will lobby accordingly at the Federal Council’s next round table on the housing shortage so that construction activity can be accelerated again.

    SBC thanks Credit Suisse for very good cooperation – Construction Index to be continued

    The Construction Index predicts a 2% increase in turnover for the next quarter compared to the same period last year. This edition marks the end of SBC’s 14-year partnership with Credit Suisse on the Construction Index. SBC would like to thank Credit Suisse for the always very good cooperation, it has been greatly appreciated. SBC will continue the established forecasting tool, from the 4th quarter of 2023 in an adapted form and with a new look.