Parliamentary motion calls for five weeks holiday for full-time employees; the number of accidents on Zurich public transport triples; and more news in our roundup this Wednesday.
Parliamentary motion calls for five weeks holiday for all full-time employees
Submitted by MP Daniel Sormanni, the motion calls for increasing the legal minimum vacation time from the current four to five weeks annually.
While four weeks is currently statutory leave, many companies offer their employees more than the legal minimum and the exact number of days or weeks is outlined in an employment contract.
For instance, full-time employees enjoyed an average of five weeks and one day in 2025.
Sormanni, however, wants the five-week annual leave to be enshrined in law rather than leave this decision up to employers. “It’s time to legalise a reality that is already well established in Switzerland,” he said.
READ MORE: Everything you need to know about annual leave in Switzerland
Accidents on Zurich public transport triple
Accidents involving trams or buses – including fatal ones among passengers or passersby – are a recurring and growing problem in Zurich, with their number having tripled in the past decade according to new data.
One reason cited for this rise is that the canton has the densest public transport network in Switzerland.
In addition, many vehicles in the city share the same lanes, which increases the odds of accidents.
Basel public pools ban dozens of French citizens
Sharing a border with France is causing a problem for Basel’s swimming pools.
Specifically, beach goers have complained that people from neighbouring France, who also use the municipal pool, are causing disturbances.
As a result, 67 French individuals have been banned from the pool area.
This move, however, is not unique: in the past, the Jura town of Porrentruy, also located in proximity to France, had already set the precedent by restricting access to its pools for visitors from across the border.
READ MORE: Swiss swimming pool restricts foreign bathers after groups cause trouble
Two SWISS pilots intercepted before flying airplane drunk
One of the worst things for passenger safety is when the plane is piloted by a drunk crew.
This is what almost happened recently when both the captain and first officer, scheduled to fly a SWISS plane from Geneva to an undisclosed European destination, spent the previous evening drinking heavily.
Fortunately, the crew noticed their condition and reported that the two were “clearly intoxicated” the next morning, when they were supposed to fly the plane.
According to SWISS, the two pilots have been suspended from duty, pending a full investigation.
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