According to government data, 58% of voters in the canton were in favor of the initiative to set the minimum wage at 23 Swiss francs an hour, which was backed by a coalition of labor unions and aimed at "fighting poverty, favoring social integration, and contributing to the respect of human dignity.". To those who are skeptical about poverty being an issue in a wealthy country such as Switzerland, Hernandez invites people not to judge. Five more local coronavirus cases in NSW, all linked to known clusters, What pandemic? ABC57 Investigates: How fire safe is your apartment. Low income workers in the service sector were the most affected by the lockdown measures put in place in Switzerland. The Swiss system of direct democracy calls on voters to exercise their right four times a year, and allows citizens to collect signatures to introduce "popular initiatives" to be enacted. The "minimum wage of 23 Swiss francs an hour" as backed by labour unions and is aimed at "fighting poverty, favoring social integration, and contributing to the respect of human dignity.". The measure was approved by the locals in a surprise vote result sparked by reports of growing coronavirus-linked poverty in the Swiss city. While Switzerland has no national minimum wage law, Geneva is the fourth of 26 cantons to vote on the matter in recent years after Neuchâtel, Jura and Ticino. “On 27 September, a new vote on this subject was finally accepted, for a salary of 23 Swiss Francs per hour, or slightly more than 4,000 Swiss Francs per month for an activity of 41 hours per week,” Poggia added. Overall, the Swiss government's economic experts group expects the adjusted Swiss GDP to fall by -6.2% in 2020, and average unemployment to be around 3.8%, the lowest economic slump since 1975. The federal minimum wage in the US is equivalent to A$10.09 an hour. The Geneva Council of State, the local executive branch, said in an opinion against the measure that the new minimum wage would be “the highest in the world.”. Mr Hernandez told CNN the group he now works for, the non-profit Colis du Coeur, helped an estimated 6000 to 9000 people each week during the summer, distributing bags of fresh produce and dry goods sourced through donations, the official Geneva food bank, and various charitable groups. Switzerland is among the wealthiest nations in the world, but it wasn't shielded from the damaging impact of the coronavirus pandemic on its economy. While a $25 per hour minimum wage might look staggering from the perspective of the United States, where the federal minimum wage is $7.25 an hour, context is key. Geneva is the 10th most expensive city in the world, according to The Economist Intelligence Unit's 2020 Worldwide Cost of Living Survey. Charrat told The Guardian that the coronavirus pandemic "has shown that a certain section of the Swiss population cannot live in Geneva," and argued that the new minimum wage is "the minimum to not fall below the poverty line and find yourself in a very difficult situation." That’s roughly $4,347 per month. Voters in Geneva, Switzerland, have agreed to introduce a minimum wage in the canton that is the equivalent of $25 an hour — believed to be the highest in the world. Luxembourg had the highest … Correction: This story has been updated to reflect Hernandez’s affiliation with Colis du Coeur, and to clarify the role of Colis du Coeur and other charitable organizations involved in food distributions in Geneva. “It will boil down to not having enough to eat,” he said. 12:10pm Oct 5, 2020 . Luxembourg. Those job losses are forcing people to seek help. Kilometre-long lines at free food distributions in Geneva made headlines worldwide, and they continue to take place, according to Charlemagne Hernandez, the co-founder of Caravane De Solidarité, an activist group in Geneva that has kickstarted the distributions in the city, mostly through donations. Mr Charrat didn't return a CNN request for comment. The guaranteed minimum monthly salary in Geneva for … Also read: IPL 2020: Sachin lauds Virat Kohli's 'million-dollar reaction' after he nearly applies saliva on ball, Also read: Bigg Boss Tamil Season 4 starts with a bang; check out complete list of contestants, Geneva is the 10th most expensive city in the world, according to The Economist Intelligence Unit's 2020 Worldwide Cost of Living Survey, IPL 2020: Sachin lauds Virat Kohli's 'million-dollar reaction' after he nearly applies saliva on ball, Bigg Boss Tamil Season 4 starts with a bang; check out complete list of contestants, Nobel Prize for Greta Thunberg?