Fire bans are in effect in and near Swiss forests; heatwaves are likely to impact Swiss property values; plus other news in our roundup this Thursday.
Most cantons have implemented fire bans in and near forests
As the heatwave and drought intensify, some regions of Valais and the Chur Rhine Valley have declared the highest fire danger level on Wednesday.
Therefore, in these and many other cantons, lighting fires in or near forests is now banned.
Only in the central Swiss cantons of Obwalden, Nidwalden, Schwyz, and Zug, as well as in parts of Bern and Vaud, are fires still allowed in designated areas.
READ MORE: What you need to know about wildfire risks in Switzerland this summer
Heatwaves also impact Swiss property values
Climate change is increasingly impacting the planning, construction, and renovation of residential buildings.
For instance, a top-floor apartment in the city, with large windows, a balcony, and a lake view could lose its appeal because it heats up significantly during extremely hot weather.
“We need to consider how demand will develop in the medium term,” said real estate consultant Matteo Molteni. “The question is whether a penthouse apartment – currently the most sought-after apartment in a building – will still be in such high demand in ten or twenty years.”
“In the past, the main focus was how well a building could store heat in winter,” he pointed out. “Today it’s just as important how well it keeps the heat out in the summer.”
Switzerland creates a national plan for safer public transport
According to the Federal Office of Transport (FOT), “Assaults and violence on public transport pose a growing challenge for the sector.”
The government is therefore developing a national action plan aimed at strengthening security, FOP said in a press release on Wednesday.
The plan focuses on measures such as coordination and standardisation of police interventions among cantons, as well as de-escalation training for employees.
“The OFT is also working to adapt regulations regarding the use of body-worn cameras, the authorisation of transport police to use neutralisation devices such as tasers, and real-time video surveillance on public transport.”
Switzerland readjusts its wage protection agreement with the EU
Following a decision by the Economic Affairs Committee of the Council of States, the compromise between the social partners on wage protection is in danger of falling apart.
Many Swiss collective labour agreements require companies to pay a deposit before commencing a contract. This is intended to ensure that fines are actually paid if a company violates wage regulations.
For the European Union, which does not have similar rules in place, this ‘deposit rule’ puts EU companies at a disadvantage.
Therefore, at Brussels’ insistence, the deposit requirement is being abolished in the agreement package that the Federal Council signed with the EU at the beginning of March.
Only companies that had already violated wage regulations in the past would still be required to pay a deposit.
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