12 June 2026 | Legal Insight
Swiss Federal Supreme Court Upholds the
Municipal Minimum Wage Regulations in
the Cities of Zurich and Winterthur
12 June 2026 | Legal Insight
Swiss Federal Supreme Court Upholds the
Municipal Minimum Wage Regulations in
the Cities of Zurich and Winterthur
In its decisions 2C_28/2025 and 2C_30/2025 dated 12 May 2026, the Swiss Federal Supreme Court ruled that the minimum wage regulations of the cities of Zurich and Winterthur are valid.
The Court upheld the two cities' appeals and overturned the Administrative Court of the Canton of Zurich's previous decisions and concluded that the municipal ordinances on the minimum wage are indeed consistent with cantonal law.
The Court stated that the minimum wage regulations of Zurich and Winterthur fall within the scope of the municipalities' constitutional autonomy and do not infringe the legislative powers of the Canton of Zurich. The Court found that Zurich municipalities enjoy sufficient autonomy under the cantonal constitution to introduce minimum wages at a municipal level, and that such measures are compatible with both cantonal law and the social policy objectives enshrined in the Swiss Federal Constitution.
As a result, the implementation of the minimum wage ordinances, which had been suspended pending the legal challenge, can now proceed. The cities of Zurich and Winterthur have announced that they will resume the implementation of the municipal ordinances with the planned minimum wages of CHF 23.90 per hour in Zurich and CHF 23.00 per hour in Winterthur. These minimum wages will generally be applicable to employment relationships in the private sector (with certain exceptions) where the employees perform their work primarily in the city of Zurich respectively in Winterthur.
The debate on minimum wages continues at the federal level. The Swiss parliament has adopted a legislative proposal under which cantonal minimum wages would no longer take precedence over minimum salaries in generally binding collective labour agreements. However, the Swiss Trade Union Federation (Gewerkschaftsbund) has already resolved, as a precautionary measure, to launch a referendum challenging the new legislation.
The Court upheld the two cities' appeals and overturned the Administrative Court of the Canton of Zurich's previous decisions and concluded that the municipal ordinances on the minimum wage are indeed consistent with cantonal law.
The Court stated that the minimum wage regulations of Zurich and Winterthur fall within the scope of the municipalities' constitutional autonomy and do not infringe the legislative powers of the Canton of Zurich. The Court found that Zurich municipalities enjoy sufficient autonomy under the cantonal constitution to introduce minimum wages at a municipal level, and that such measures are compatible with both cantonal law and the social policy objectives enshrined in the Swiss Federal Constitution.
As a result, the implementation of the minimum wage ordinances, which had been suspended pending the legal challenge, can now proceed. The cities of Zurich and Winterthur have announced that they will resume the implementation of the municipal ordinances with the planned minimum wages of CHF 23.90 per hour in Zurich and CHF 23.00 per hour in Winterthur. These minimum wages will generally be applicable to employment relationships in the private sector (with certain exceptions) where the employees perform their work primarily in the city of Zurich respectively in Winterthur.
The debate on minimum wages continues at the federal level. The Swiss parliament has adopted a legislative proposal under which cantonal minimum wages would no longer take precedence over minimum salaries in generally binding collective labour agreements. However, the Swiss Trade Union Federation (Gewerkschaftsbund) has already resolved, as a precautionary measure, to launch a referendum challenging the new legislation.
