The United Nations
An online petition calling for a referendum on a global carbon tax with a dividend (a form of basic income guarantee) is online on the Care2 Petition website. The author is Keith McNeill and it is targeted at the secretary-general of the United Nations
To see the petition, go to: https://www.thepetitionsite.com/286/384/042/petition-for-a-referendum-on-a-global-carbon-tax/
[Craig Axford]
SUMMARY: The Swiss have a long history of referendums that lead to change not only at home, but abroad as well. Recently they passed a referendum giving shareholders greater say over executive compensation, and though a proposal to cap executive salaries to 12 times that of the lowest paid worker recently failed, it is an idea that has made its way into at least one European party’s platform. According to this article, with a vote set for later this year on a basic income guarantee, the Swiss may be having an impact again.
Stephan Faris, “The Swiss Join the Fight Against Inequality”, Bloomberg Businessweek, January 16, 2014
Photograph by Denis Balibouse/Reuters
[Josh Martin]
In this article, O’Connor begins with an explanation of the process behind Swiss referendums as well as recent issues that triggered referendums. Particularly popular debates in Switzerland today focus on income inequality, O’Connor writes, partially because of the country’s lack of a minimum wage law while the top one percent own a third of the wealth. Switzerland will vote on a referendum within the next few years on whether or not to implement a CHF2,500 per month universal basic income. O’Connor then lists key arguments for and against the proposal.
(Via EuropeanCEO) Members of Generation Basic Income pose with eight million coins of Swiss five-cent.
Jess O’Connor, “The case for and against unconditional basic income in Switzerland,” EuropenCEO, January 10, 2014.
On December 18th, 2013, the BBC News published a lengthy article about the referendum on basic income to be held in Switzerland. According to the BBC, “the anger among many Swiss voters at the news that some of their biggest banks, such as UBS, had continued paying top executives huge bonuses while also reporting huge losses” played a role in facilitating the collection of signatures in favour of basic income. In this context, the author argues, “it was easy to gather the 100,000 signatures to hold the vote on universal income”. But there is still a long road ahead. In particular, “Swiss business leaders have reacted with dismay” to the basic income proposal.
The article can be read online.
On December 13th, 2013, the French daily Le Monde has published a column entitled “Pour la mise en place d’un revenu universel” (“Arguing for the introduction of a basic income”), by Philippe Van Parijs (Louvain University). Among other things, Van Parijs refers to the Swiss referendum on basic income.
This opinion piece is available online.
