⏱ 2 min read
Background
Geneva’s retail sector has had no extended collective labour agreement (CLA) since the unions terminated the previous one in 2017. The dispute centred on Sunday shop opening. In September 2025, the Federal Supreme Court struck down the article of Geneva’s shop opening hours law (LHOM) that linked two Sunday openings to an extended CLA. On 14 June 2026, voters approved opening shops on two additional Sundays a year.
The key points
The social partners in Geneva’s retail sector have resumed dialogue and say they are ready to negotiate a cantonal CLA, according to L’Événement syndical of 12 November 2026. A first meeting is scheduled for January 2027, with a target of one year.
The Unia union and the Interprofessional Workers’ Union (SIT) will take part in the process. The list of demands has not yet been set. Discussions are already under way on the span of working days and on weekends.
Le Courrier sees a possible thaw in relations between staff and employers from 2027. A CLA would only become binding on the whole sector after an extension by the authorities.
What it means for businesses
- Geneva retailers : a future CLA could set new rules on working hours and conditions.
- Small non-affiliated shops : their low membership of employers’ associations makes it harder to reach the quorum required to extend a CLA.
Who says what
- Yves Defferrard (Regional Secretary of Unia Geneva): he welcomes the return to the negotiating table, without prejudging the outcome.
- Balmain Badel (head of the tertiary sector at Unia Geneva): he sees a CLA as the only way to end contested bills on opening hours.
What's next
- First negotiating meeting in January 2027.
- If an agreement is reached, a request to extend the CLA will be made to the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO), which both sides say they are ready to support, according to Unia.
Further reading
Sources
- L’Événement syndical – Social dialogue resumes in Geneva’s retail sector
- Le Courrier – Thaw in relations in the retail sector
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