Geneva voted for the highest minimum wage in the world

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In two weeks, a new minimum wage of 23 Swiss francs per hour (about 21 euros) will come into force in Geneva, which will be the highest in the world. Taking into account an average of 41 hours per week among workers in Geneva, the new salary amounts to about 4086 Swiss francs or about 3700 euros per month, well over 2180 euros (12.1 euros per hour), which workers in the country with the second highest high minimum wage in the world, Australia , reports "Deutsche Welle".

The new minimum wage was approved last Sunday in a local referendum, where the "23 francs minimum" initiative received the support of 58.16% of voters, despite the fact that in 2011 they had rejected such a proposal.

Geneva is in fact the third Swiss canton (out of 26) to approve this figure, already in force in the Jura and Neuchâtel, also in the French-speaking area in the western part of the country, and which will soon be introduced in the Italian-speaking canton of Ticino. Voting will soon take place in Basel. Switzerland does not have a national minimum wage valid throughout the federation, unlike other neighboring countries.

The new minimum wage in Geneva contrasts with that of the European Union, where even a country with a high standard of living, such as Luxembourg, sets it at "only" 2,141 euros a month. That of Ireland, the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany and France varies between 1,706 euros and 1,539 euros, according to Eurostat data.

Of the others, Spain alone exceeds one thousand euros, by 1108 (a figure similar to 1,122 euros in the United States). Italy, Cyprus, Austria and the Scandinavian EU member states (Finland, Sweden and Denmark) do not have a national minimum wage.

The new minimum wage could increase the growing group of frontier workers, more than 180,000, who live in Switzerland's border areas of France, Italy or Germany , where the cost of living is much lower and crosses the border daily to go to work. .