Swiss vote to raise retirement age for women | Abroad

After unsuccessful efforts in 2004 and 2017 to adapt the system to the rising life expectancy and the coming wave of retirees from the baby boom generation, the government has now achieved success. Another proposal, also submitted by referendum, fell through: the voters voted against a ban on intensive livestock farming.

Last year, the Swiss parliament voted to align the retirement age of women with that of men. Left-wing parties and trade unions oppose the reform ‘on the backs of women’ and forced a referendum on the matter.

Proponents of the reform believed that age equalization is not unreasonable. Opponents pointed to the gender pay gap. Women earn less and, according to figures from the Ministry of Economic Affairs, receive on average a 35 percent lower pension than men. That inequality must first be addressed before the pension system can be adjusted, critics said.

Those entitled to vote could also vote today on a ban on intensive livestock farming. Factory farming should be a thing of the past, animal welfare organizations behind the referendum said. However, Swiss voters did not agree to such a ban, leaving current legislation in place. This stipulates that farmers are not allowed to keep more than 1500 pigs, 27,000 chickens or 300 calves. As a result, even without the ban, there are no mega stalls in Switzerland like in other countries.

To enforce a referendum in Switzerland, it is necessary to collect 100,000 signatures within 18 months. The country has about 8.5 million inhabitants, so that about 1.2 percent of the population has to sign the petition. It can also take years before a referendum is held and a constitutional amendment is implemented.