Reactions to the Federal Supreme Court ruling "Women remain cheated out of a year's pension"

The Federal Court in Lausanne has ruled: The vote on the AHV reform will not be repeated. These are the reactions to the decision.

The referendum on raising the retirement age for women does not have to be repeated. The Federal Supreme Court has unanimously rejected the appeals lodged by the Greens and SP women against the 2022 AHV vote. The vote is therefore not annulled.

From next year, the retirement age for women will gradually rise from 64 to 65. The reactions to this are mixed.

SVP National Councillor Barbara Steinmann finds the decision "very sensible"

SVP National Councillor Barbara Steinemann finds the Federal Court's decision on the appeal against the increase in the women's pension age "very sensible". It would be questionable in terms of the rule of law if the vote had been repeated on the basis of forecasts, she told the Keystone-SDA news agency.

Many other referendums would also have had to be repeated. For example, due to immigration figures or the alleged increase in security as a result of Schengen accession, the politician wrote on X.

If the vote on the women's retirement age had been repeated, the vote on the 13th AHV would also have had to be repeated, as the starting position would have been different if women only had to work until 64, according to Steinemann.

Federation of Trade Unions: "Women are being cheated out of a year's pension"

The Swiss Federation of Trade Unions has expressed its disappointment following the unanimous rejection of the appeals against the 2022 AHV vote. "Women are being cheated out of a year's pension," it said in a statement.

This was despite the fact that the majority of women were clearly against the reform, the Swiss Federation of Trade Unions (SGB) added on Thursday. The federal judges weighted legal certainty higher than the inadequate pension situation of women. "Although women have lower pensions, the increase in the retirement age was a one-sided saving on their backs."

The flawed financial scenarios played a key role in the referendum campaign to raise the retirement age for women. The SGB remains convinced that the opinion-forming process would have been different without the calculation errors. Following today's ruling, politicians are even more responsible for finally doing something about the large pension gap for women, it continued.

Unia disappointed by "despondent" federal court

The trade union Unia is disappointed by the "despondent" decision of the Federal Supreme Court. This decision is a serious blow for women in Switzerland, it said in a press release.

Women are being cheated out of a whole year's pension in a system that already puts them at a disadvantage, said Unia President Vania Alleva in the press release on Thursday. Solutions are needed to substantially improve women's pensions.

Unia is now calling on politicians to take concrete measures such as "fairer wages for women, recognition of unpaid care work in the social insurance system and closing the large pension gap".

SP Co-President Mattea Meyer: "We are disappointed, we are sad, we are angry - and rightly so"

Following the rejection of the appeal against the AHV vote by the Federal Supreme Court, SP Co-President Mattea Meyer has expressed her disappointment and combativeness. "We are disappointed, we are sad, we are angry - and rightly so," she told numerous media representatives after the decision in front of the Federal Court building in Lausanne.

The claim that the AHV was on the brink of financial ruin and that there was no alternative to raising the retirement age for women was already false during the referendum campaign and still is today, she continued. And the claim would continue to be false in the future because it could never be right for women to have to pay for political misjudgements and mistakes.

At the same time, the Social Democrat was combative. "Today we are disappointed, but tomorrow we will fight on. Tomorrow we will be successful," she said to the cheers of the assembled sympathizers and supporters.

"Together with all of us, we have fought for a 13th pension this year. This year we have prevented pensions in the second pillar from being reduced and we will continue to fight until women receive the rights and respect they deserve for their work. That means more respect and more money," added Meyer.

Tamara Funiciello calls for further steps towards equality

Following the rejection of the appeals against the 2022 AHV vote, SP National Councillor Tamara Funiciello has called for rapid progress to be made on equality for women. "Today we lost, tomorrow we win", Funiciello told supporters and sympathizers in Lausanne after the court ruling on Thursday.

With the Federal Supreme Court ruling, the same retirement age for men and women is a reality, said the Social Democrat. But now the rest of the equality must follow. "We are submitting motions for this," announced the Co-President of SP Women Switzerland.

Among other things, she called for care work to be recognized in the second pillar, better insurance for part-time employment, affordable childcare and equal pay for men and women.

"We have had enough of empty words and promises, we have been waiting for over 40 years for the constitution to be continued," continued Funiciello. "We will no longer tolerate any postponement of our equality, excuses, postponements and explanations, we want to see progress and we want it now," said the SP politician, addressing Parliament and the Federal Council.

The center respects the decision of the Federal Supreme Court

Die Mitte respects the independent decision of the Federal Supreme Court on the appeal against the vote on the AHV of 2022. The decision strengthens trust in democracy and institutions, the party announced on X.

"Particularly in view of the increasing polarization, it is crucial that our institutions function smoothly and are respected so that they can work efficiently and independently," wrote Die Mitte. This is crucial for the stability and cohesion of Switzerland.

The party will continue to campaign for a secure AHV that is based on a solid financial foundation so that pensions are also guaranteed for future generations.

Employers' association: "A lot of effort and trouble saved"

The Swiss Employers' Association has welcomed the unanimous rejection of the appeals against the 2022 AHV vote. An annulment would have meant disproportionate effort and raised numerous questions about how to proceed, it said in a statement.

The important measures to stabilize the AHV thus remain in place, the Swiss Employers' Association (SAV) added on Thursday. Furthermore, it is fair in terms of equality and life expectancy for women and men to have the same official reference age.

It would also save the administration and the population "a lot of effort and trouble". According to the SAV, annulling the vote would have rendered the legal basis for the VAT increase, which has been in force since January 1, 2024, obsolete. It is unclear what would have happened to the additional revenue already generated as a result.

For the employers, it is also clear that further structural measures must be taken due to the continued high financial pressure on AHV finances. A viable solution is expected from the Federal Council as part of the 2026 AHV reform, which provides for a realistic increase in the reference age in line with life expectancy.