Relocation to Turkey Bern-based paint company closes production - 100 jobs lost
The pressure on Switzerland as an industrial location is evident once again: Siegwerk is relocating its production from Bargen BE to Turkey - around 100 employees are losing their jobs.
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- The printing ink company Siegwerk is closing its production facility in Bargen BE and cutting around 100 jobs.
- The company cites the strong Swiss franc, falling demand and the relocation of growth to other regions as the reasons.
- In future, production will be relocated to Turkey.
- Other companies such as Bally, Sigvaris and Eversys are also cutting jobs or relocating parts of their production abroad.
100 jobs are gone. For the employees of Siegwerk in Bargen BE, the redundancies come as a surprise. The reason: the company is relocating its production to Tuzal in Turkey, where a site already exists. This is reported by the online portal "ajour". Only the technology department will remain in Switzerland. Siegwerk employs 5400 people worldwide, Bargen is the only site in this country - the decision is correspondingly drastic for the region.
The company cites the strong Swiss franc and structural changes in the market as the main reasons. In Switzerland, there are hardly any print shops left that produce labels for PET bottles or films. At the same time, the European market for UV printing inks is weakening and demand is falling. Growth can only be seen in Eastern Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Under these conditions, Siegwerk no longer sees any point in producing in Switzerland.
Social plan for those affected
A social plan has been drawn up for the employees affected. According to ajour.ch, 70 percent will receive half a year's salary or more as severance pay. There is also a bonus system: anyone who stays on until the last working day despite being made redundant will receive an extra half month's pay for each month. In this way, the company is trying to cushion the transition, at least financially.
The case is one in a series of production relocations. More and more companies are withdrawing from Switzerland or reducing their activities. Bally, for example, is ceasing production in Caslano TI after 175 years and laying off the last 27 factory employees. The Sigvaris Group is also planning cost-cutting measures and wants to cut up to 140 jobs in St. Gallen and Wittenbach SG, while parts of its production will be relocated abroad.
High US tariffs prompt a rethink
International framework conditions are another driver of this development. High US tariffs are forcing the coffee machine manufacturer Eversys from Sierre VS to rethink. As the company generates a third of its turnover in the USA, machines for this market will be assembled in Italy in future. Although production for other countries will remain in Switzerland, dozens of temporary employees will lose their jobs.
Overall, there is a clear trend: high costs, a strong franc and changing markets are putting pressure on Switzerland as a production location. More and more companies are reacting to this by relocating abroad - with direct consequences for jobs and entire regions.
