by Toru Yamamori | Jan 30, 2016 | News
The annual meeting of the World Economic Forum was held during 20th-23rd January 2016. A group ‘Robots for Basic Income‘ countered the Forum with their demand for a Basic Income. The group released ‘Declaration of Davos 2016’:
Robots demand for universal basic income as a humanistic response to technological progress
We – the robots – call for an universal basic income for humans. We want to work for the humans to relieve them from the struggle for income. We are really good in working. But we do not want to take away people’s jobs and thereby bring them into existential difficulties.
Che Wagner, ‘human spokesperson’ of the group, said that they need a wider support for their campaign for the national referendum, which will take place in June this year.
Videos on what the group perform in Davos can be watched online.
In the meantime, a panel of the World Economic Forum discussed the idea of basic income:
by Stanislas Jourdan | Jan 28, 2016 | News
Critics of basic income have been proven wrong once again. Giving everyone the means to survive would not make people lazy. A new opinion poll carried out in Switzerland shows that only a tiny fraction of the population would stop working if they had a Universal Basic Income (UBI). What is more, most young people believe UBI will be implemented in the future.
The survey was conducted by DemoSCOPE and released on January 27, 2016 (you can read the full results here). Among the 1076 respondents, only 2% said they would stop working completely, while another 8% said they would ‘rather’ stop working. This trend is also persistent among the youth, were only 3% said they would stop working. However, about a third of the respondents think “others would stop working.”
53% say that, if they receive a UBI, they would spend more time with the family. 54% of the Swiss would like to pursue further education, while 22% in total would want to start a business or be self-employed.
67% believe basic income would “relieve people from existential fears”
The survey shows another striking result: 67% of the respondents, and particularly the youth, think basic income would “relieve people from existential fears.”
With a basic income, 40% would engage more in voluntary work, a trend that is even more important among supporters of the idea (60%).
The campaign for basic income in Switzerland is now entering an historic phase. After 125,000 Swiss citizens had signed a popular initiative back in 2013, a nationwide referendum will be held on June 5 this year, despite the opposition of both houses of parliament last year.
A majority (56%) of the respondents think basic income will never happen, but 16% think it will be implemented after more than 10 years, and another 15% think that it will take more than 25 years. Only 3% of Swiss people think basic income will be implemented after the referendum.
People under 35 are more optimistic: 58% of them are confident that basic income will become a reality in Switzerland.
The survey results are encouraging for the basic income movement. According to the campaign group Generation Grundeinkommen,“the Swiss are ready for a universal basic income!”
by Toru Yamamori | Dec 21, 2015 | News
On December 17, the Council of States, the upper house of the Swiss parliament, unanimously approved a motion calling for people to vote against a universal basic income (UBI) in the national referendum to be held next year.
On October 2013, the Popular Initiative for a UBI collected 126,000 signatures. This was enough to gain the right to hold a national referendum. Before the referendum is held, the two houses of parliament can issue recommendations for people to vote in favor or against. On September 23 this year, the National Council, the lower house of parliament, had also recommended to vote against UBI. While the date has not been set yet, the national referendum is expected to take place next year. There are indications that this might be in June 2016.
Although nobody voted in favour of the UBI, some of the interventions by MPs and government Ministers were not dismissive of the idea. Enno Schmidt, co-initiator of the Swiss popular initiative, heard the debate in the Council of States, and noted down some of the more positive statements for Basic Income News.
Alain Berset, a politician from the leftist Social Democratic Party (SP) and a member of the Swiss Federal Council (the Swiss federal government), stated that:
The idea of a UBI is noble and it would be important to think ahead. But there are too many open questions and uncertainties about its introduction. The current social security system relies on the logic of insurance. A UBI is based on the logic of existence.
Anita Fetz, a member of the Council of States from the SP ranks, said:
A basic income would be a sign of appreciation to all those who make their contribution to society, but are not counted in the Gross Domestic Product. Half of all work carried out by people is not financially rewarded and therefore less visible, but is crucial for the functioning of our society. We cannot rely solely on women for these activities. That era is over. Today we are living with a market model that offers a rational and selfish image of humanity. A vision that privileges more freedom and independence would help us give more importance to trust, compassion and cooperation, rather than confrontation and competition. Today only a few can imagine a UBI, but tomorrow technology will make a lot more jobs redundant. After that, we will have to think about the feasibility of a basic income. The greatest ideas in history were always put forward by a small group of people, and met with fierce opposition for many years, until they suddenly found the support of the majority.
Another member of the Council of States from the SP, Liliane Maury Pasquier, said:
The idea to grant a personal income to all citizens unconditionally and for life is simple and fair. It is a project that is socially liberal and focused on the talents of each person. It is neither left nor right, it is about core societal values. Ideals move the world. But unfortunately, we, the politicians, are driven by populism and fears. We do not allow room for utopias.
Both Fetz and Pasquier abstained in the vote.
Basic Income News is grateful to Enno Schmidt for the additional reporting. An interview with him on the Council of States’ motion will be published in our website shortly.
Here is a list of our past news and commentary on the Swiss referendum:
Matthias Lindemer, “Swiss politicians reject basic income because they are scared of humans,” Basic Income News, December 7, 2015.
Stanislas Jourdan, “SWITZERLAND: Parliament rejects basic income initiative, but poll shows popular support,” Basic Income News, October 3, 2015.
Toru Yamamori, “Interview with Enno Schmidt, co-initiator of the Swiss Citizens’ Initiative,” Basic Income News, September 19, 2015.
Jenna van Draanen, “SWITZERLAND: Swiss parliamentary committee on social affairs opposes a federal initiative for basic income,” Basic Income News, July 14, 2015.
Karl Widerquist, “SWITZERLAND: National referendum will be held on basic income,” Basic Income News, October 5, 2013.
by Stanislas Jourdan | Oct 3, 2015 | News
Last week (Sept 23rd 2015) the Swiss Parliament voted for a motion calling on the Swiss people to reject the Popular Initiative for Unconditional Basic Income.
Update: the date of the referendum has be set to 5th June 2016
After hours of debate, the National council (the lower house of the Federal Assembly of Switzerland) voted for a recommendation by the ruling party to reject the popular initiative for unconditional basic income after six hours of debate.
The motion was passed with a large majority (146 votes), with only a minority of 14 MPs supporting the initiative and 12 abstentions (see the detailed vote report here).
“The most dangerous and harmful initiative ever”
Basic income was opposed by all political groups, but the harshest critics came from the Centre and Right-wing parties. Sebastian Frehner (Centrist) described the initiative as “the most dangerous and harmful initiative that has ever been submitted,” mentioning the risks of immigration, disincentive to work, and that the basic income proposed would not be financeable anyway.
For similar reasons, the Liberal party spokesman Daniel Stolz described the initiative as “intellectually stimulating,” but that it is also a “cocked hand grenade that threatens to tear the whole system to pieces.” His party colleague Ausserrhoden Andrea Caroni spoke of basic income as a “bomb in the heart of our society and our economy.”
The most noticeable supporter of basic income was probably the Socialist MP Silvia Schenker who argued that basic income was the answer to the complexity and loopholes of the current welfare system and a better way to integrate the people “who have no place in the world of work.”
This was not enough however to convince the Greens and other Socialists. “The Greens support the objectives of the Popular Initiative for an Unconditional Basic Income, but as it stands, it endangers our social system,” said Christian van Singer, spokesperson for the Greens. He argued that while one goal of the initiative is to simplify the social system, “it could level down the benefit system to the detriment of those who do not find work or cannot work.”
Similarly, the Socialist MP Jean-Christophe Schwaab said he opposed basic income because it could be a pretext to dismantle the welfare system and reduce wages.
Politicians dismiss it, electors like it
Basic income campaigners just published a new book and distributed in front of the Parliament.
Ironically, while politicians were voting against basic income by a large majority, an online poll (Tagesanzeiger.ch) showed that 49% of the Swiss would vote in favour, while 43% are against it, and another 8% said it depends on the amount.
The general outcome of the six-hour session was not a surprise. The strong opposition to basic income followed a similar opinion from the Federal Council (the executive branch of government) which rejected the initiative in August 2014. Earlier this year the two relevant parliamentary committees on social affairs had also recommended opposition to the initiative. The Upper chamber of the Parliament will deliberate on the issue over the winter.
Under the Swiss Constitution, all citizens’ initiatives that collect more than 100,000 signatures get the right to have a referendum. However, this referendum only takes place after a series of official deliberations in the Federal Council and the National Council. In practice, this can allow the legislative power to immediately adopt into law proposed citizens’ initiatives if representatives agree with it, thus accelerating the process.
This vote is therefore not decisive, it is only a recommendation. Whatever the politicians decide, a nationwide referendum will be organised for 2016.
The Popular Initiative for Unconditional Basic Income was launched in March 2012 and successfully collected 125,000 signatures by October 2014.
“Politicians are afraid of the People”
Despite the unsuccessful vote in Parliament, “The debate was good for the idea and the movement for Basic Income,” wrote basic income campaigner Che Wagner in a column for the Swiss newspaper Tages Woches.
Wagner said the debate revealed how afraid politicians are of the people: “Among the political class, the fear has spread, a threat has been identified: they are afraid of the people of this country and their potential epidemic laziness. Until the referendum in Autumn 2016 we will find out whether and how much these dangerous people are afraid of themselves too.”
by Jenna van Draanen | Jul 19, 2015 | News
SUMMARY: This article, although dated, discusses a variety of options that the Swiss government considered last year to create a fair economy. One proposed method would provide a guaranteed 2,500 franc income to all citizens, regardless of whether or not they are employed. The other was a minimum wage referendum.
Kristine Lofgren, “Switzerland Might Pay All Citizens a 2,500 Franc Basic Income Every Month” Inhabit. May 16, 2014
