Aargau's Parliament Approves 'Work Must Pay!' Initiative for Public Vote
Aargau's cantonal parliament has approved the 'Work Must Pay!' initiative, which will now face a public vote. This initiative proposes reducing basic welfare benefits for long-term recipients by at least five percent, aiming to prevent abuse and encourage active reintegration into the labor market.
Similar proposals have seen mixed success in other cantons. Basel-Country residents recently approved a tightening of their cantonal welfare laws, while a comparable initiative in Uri narrowly failed. Proponents argue such measures are necessary to create incentives for long-term recipients to actively seek work. Opponents, like legal advisor Daniela Bleiker Patt and the Swiss Conference for Social Welfare (Skos), warn that these cuts could undermine social security and make reintegration harder.
The initiative demands a five percent reduction in benefits for those receiving continuous assistance for over two years, with exemptions for children under 18 and parents with infants under four months old. This follows a trend of cantons reviewing their welfare regulations to promote employment and prevent misuse. Other cantons, like Zurich and Bern, have discussed similar reforms.
The 'Work Must Pay!' initiative in Aargau will now go to a public vote, following approval from the cantonal parliament. If passed, it will introduce cuts to basic welfare benefits for long-term recipients, aiming to encourage active reintegration into the labor market. Critics caution that these changes could negatively impact social security and reintegration efforts.
Read also:
- American teenagers taking up farming roles previously filled by immigrants, a concept revisited from 1965's labor market shift.
- Weekly affairs in the German Federal Parliament (Bundestag)
- Landslide claims seven lives, injures six individuals while they work to restore a water channel in the northern region of Pakistan
- Escalating conflict in Sudan has prompted the United Nations to announce a critical gender crisis, highlighting the disproportionate impact of the ongoing violence on women and girls.
