New workplaces organized thanks to foreign companies

New workplaces have been organized thanks to foreign companies.

As never before, foreign companies are attracted to Switzerland; in particular the German and Italian companies. One of the main reasons for the interest of the companies is the state fiscal system. Switzerland taxes about 20% of the business profit. In the adjacent countries, the percentage is remarkably higher: 41% for Germany, 36% for Italy and France, 34% for Austria. Moreover, in order to attract foreign companies, many Swiss Cantons offer additional fiscal facilities. But this is not an innovation. For many years, the foreign holding companies had already arranged themselves in Switzerland, particularly in the Canton of Zug, for evident fiscal advantages granted to them. However, in the past, although the fiscal returns flowed into the cash registers of the State, these companies did not create many workplaces.

Today, on the contrary, companies move to Switzerland wanting not only to save on taxes, but also because they really want to work for you. According to Martin Theurer, the representative of the Chamber of Commerce Germany-Switzerland, who worked for thirteen years in Zürich: < < Before, we had perhaps four demands per year. Today, at least every day one foreign company is registered in our Chamber of Commerce > >. According to Eric Scheidegger, member of the SECO board of directors, the Secretariat of the State Economical Affairs of Switzerland, the interest of foreign companies has grown from the beginning of 2003. Foreign companies are attracted to the respective lingual regions: French companies move to the French part of Switzerland and Italian companies to Ticino. < < Foreign companies particularly appreciate the flexibility of the labor market, the high productivity and the lower wage payment to workers > >. Moreover, Switzerland offers you a moderate fiscal climate, uncomplicated administration and an excellent infrastructure. The high quality of life of the directors and the workers is also important for the direction of great transnational companies

As it was mentioned above, foreign interest is great. It is demonstrated by the results of a study published in May 2003. Every fourth company, in the next three years, plans to transfer at least part of the their assets to a foreign country; half of them are to be moved to Switzerland. According to Martin Theurer, one of the causes of the transfer is also the intolerable obligations to which the Italian and German companies are subjected. The protection of the workers was strengthened to such an extent that it gave rise to contrary effects. < < Currently many companies are careful about taking up new orders if this provokes the employment of new personnel. Once employed, it is nearly impossible to dismiss them > >. Only social criteria are taken into consideration for lay-offs: at first, only young workers are subjected to dismission as well as those who do not support the family. Such criteria as profitability or importance for the company are of the secondary importance. Today the companies turn to hire the staff who can be fired more easily. The protected workers are not needed. Such conditions as, for example, the obligatory rule to have the assistance of a doctor for a group of workers beginning from 5 employees and the compulsory hiring of one full-time doctor for companies with at least 100 collaborators, contributes to the limitation of economical growth in the future. But not only the excessive regulation of the labor market is putting up the obstacles. The continuous legislative modifications make business planning insecure and slow official bureaucratic circumlocution (one-and-a-half to two years are needed in order to acquire the permit for construction) makes the process decidedly exasperating. < < As a result of all these restrictions, the space for maneuvering the German and Italian companies becomes rather narrow > >. In Switzerland, the situation is fortunately different, being more flexible and simple.

In comparison, it is sufficient to give an example: for the compilation of administrative tasks - like the compilation of tax declarations, the request for an authorization, the calculatuon of social contributions - an Italian company needs double the time more than a Swiss company. According to Rolf Röthing, who is responsible for the economic promotion of the two Cantoni Basilesi, < < the created workplaces are, in the majority of cases, places for qualified staff in the fields of services, research and development > >.

The Swiss wage level does not present an obstacle to the takeover of foreign companies in Switzerland. At first sight, it gives a rather good impression: in fact, the gross wages are apparently higher in contrast to other countries. Furthermore, after more detailed consideration, is is noted that, considering the overall wages paid to workers, Switzerland is organized in a rather satisfactory way. Actually, if working hours are considered - in Italy, people annually work 100 hours less, Germany 200 and in France even 300 hours less - thus, Swiss profitability on the job is good. Moreover, an international study found that Swiss workers are the most motivated and, excluding Austria, they seldom go on strike. Also, the flexibility of the Swiss labor market is very high. In comparison with some other 49 countries, Switzerland takes 4th place after Singapore, Hong Kong and the USA; France and Germany take the last two places. The conditions for employers are perfect. But how is the situation from the point of view of the workers? All of the above mentioned means that, in Switzerland, it is easier to fire employees, that the nocturnal and Sunday job are more easily permitted, and that employees work overtime.

The company MIRALUX FIDUCIARIA remains at your disposal in order to organize your new company in Switzerland, advising you in regards to the best location of the factory, providing the modalities of staff recruiting as well as the relative costs of social contributions and so on, and in such a way as to supply you with all the necessary conditions that will be helpful to making your decision.