175 years in the service of attractive working conditions

Swiss Post is one of Switzerland’s largest employers. Around one in 110 people in employment in Switzerland work for Swiss Post, with more than a third in peripheral areas. Swiss Post not only offers more than 100 different professional profiles with varied responsibilities, but also provides an appreciative working environment, modern employment conditions and exciting opportunities for further development. Swiss Post also trains over 2,000 apprentices annually in 19 professions.

Swiss Post and the trade unions agree on a standardized redundancy plan, to be used for all future organisational changes.

The Swiss Post pension fund begins. Assets and liabilities are transferred from the Federal Pension Fund.

After almost two years of intensive negotiations between Swiss Post and the trade unions/staff associations, the Swiss Post collective employment contract (CEC) is signed and implemented on 1 January 2002. Prior to this, employment conditions for Swiss Post staff had been governed by the Swiss civil service code (Beamtengesetz (BtG)).

Swiss Post offers apprenticeships that are recognized by BIGA, the Federal Office for Industry and Labour during this period. The monopoly apprenticeships come to an end.

The number of weekly working hours for Swiss Post employees is reduced by two, from 44 to 42 hours.

The PTT now transfers its employees’ wages and salaries to an account.

A management career at Swiss Post is now also open to women. From 1973, women are officially allowed to work as “uniformed” mail carriers. In 1974, the first women start work at the male-dominated Railway Mail Service, which is seen as the PTT’s training ground for new managers.

As a result of staff shortages, branches in cities are forced to close during the holiday season. Swiss Post responds by making increased use of foreign workers and women to help with deliveries.

The introduction of postcodes simplifies sorting work, which no longer requires special training. Swiss Post employs women and foreign workers as a form of “inexpensive” labour.

Following the introduction of the Swiss civil service code (BtG) in 1927, the status of sub-postmasters continues to rise. To hold this office, candidates must be of good repute, must pass tests and must be married. The men are supported in the background by their wives.

As early as the 1890s, local organizations of postal and telecommunications staff form central associations to bring together workers, salaried employee and civil servants across status boundaries. From 2011, the media and communications trade union syndicom protects the interests of Swiss Post employees with a collective employment contract (CEC).

Swiss Post begins with 2,803 employees, making it one of Switzerland’s largest employers. When the Confederation takes over postal services in 1849, it regulates employment conditions for employees, such as their term of office or grounds for dismissal. Swiss Post employees are federal civil servants. Anyone looking to become a postmaster must first provide a guarantee.

Employees can make use of central bathing facilities in post offices.