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GENEVA

Uber gets back on the road in Geneva after ban

The Swiss canton of Geneva has given the green light for Uber to operate, lifting a temporary ban over a labour law dispute. Drivers will now be considered employees rather than contractors, giving them better social protection.

The ride-hailing service, Uber, has been authorised to operate once again in the Swiss canton of Geneva.
The ride-hailing service, Uber, has been authorised to operate once again in the Swiss canton of Geneva. (Photo by SPENCER PLATT / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP)

Geneva has lifted a temporary ban on Uber cabs after reaching an agreement with the ride-hailing giant, both sides announced Friday.

A week ago, Switzerland’s highest court agreed that Uber drivers should be considered employees and not independent contractors, backing a decision by the Geneva canton to temporarily ban the US firm’s ride-hailing activities.

Under the new deal, Uber drivers in Geneva will now be employed by “Swiss partner companies”, and should be able to return to work over the weekend, Uber said in a statement.

“We are fully committed to supporting our partner companies and their drivers and to allowing users once again to travel safely at an affordable price,” said Uber Switzerland’s general manager, Jean Pascal Aribot.

Last week, Switzerland’s Federal Court rejected Uber’s appeal against a 2019 ruling in the Geneva canton classifying its drivers as employees, and ordering it to halt its activities unless it pays their social charges.

In the rest of Switzerland, Uber does not, for the moment, plan to set up “such a binding model”, as the “vast majority” of Uber drivers in the country “wish to remain independent”.

Uber believes that only some of the hundreds of drivers who worked via the app in Geneva before the ban would return under the new system.

“We plan to relaunch our cab services this weekend, as soon as we have enough drivers on board by becoming employees of one of our partner companies,” Uber said, citing a gradual return over the coming days.

Under their new status, drivers will get the Geneva minimum wage of 23.27 Swiss francs ($23.55) an hour — one of the highest in the world — while their new employers will have to pay their social security charges.

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GENEVA

Can Geneva still claim to be the ‘capital of peace’?

The Swiss city has traditionally been a space for diplomacy and international relations. But does Geneva still merit this title?

Can Geneva still claim to be the 'capital of peace'?

Geneva has been the scene of numerous negotiations and agreements since the end of World War Two.

According to the United Nations, the city’s “humanitarian tradition, strategic location in a neutral country, and political stability make it an obvious choice to host a variety of diplomatic meetings”.

These are just some of the top-level meetings held in Geneva in the past decades, which have earned it the nickname of the “capital of peace”:

1985: After a long stretch of Cold War, former US President Ronald Reagan met and (shook hands) with USSR leader Mikhaïl Gorbachev 

1994: The then US president Bill Clinton met former president of Syria, Hafez al-Assad
 
2009: US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton held talks with Russian minister of foreign affairs, Sergei Lavrov
 
2013: Iranian nuclear negotiations
 
2021: Summit between US president Joe Biden and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin

Russian President Vladimir Putinshakes hands with US President Joe Biden prior to their meeting in Geneva. Photo: Denis Balibouse/AFP

You can see all the other major meetings in Geneva here

However, since Biden met Putin in May 2021, no major meetings have been held in Geneva – either regularly or consistently.

Why is that?

Russia’s interference
 
Blame it on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

After that event in February 2022, Switzerland’s image took a beating in Putin’s eyes.

That’s because the country froze the assets of Russian oligarchs held in Swiss banks, closed its airspace to Russian airlines, and generally followed all of EU sanctions against Kremlin.

Because of these actions, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov described Switzerland as an “openly hostile country”.

As for the Russia’ ambassador to Bern, Sergey Garmonin, he said that Switzerland “has lost its credibility as an impartial international platform and cannot be regarded a mediator in addressing the crisis in Ukraine”, according to Russia’ official news agency, TASS.

In fact, due to Switzerland’s stance on Russia, Putin “reciprocated” by pressuring his ally, Syria, to suspend its peace talks that have been held in Geneva since 2016.

Is Switzerland’s role as the hub of international diplomacy really doomed?

Not quite yet.

On June 15th and 16th, the country will host a high-level peace conference for Ukraine at the Burgenstock resort near Lucerne.

High-level officials from dozens of countries will attend, though Russia already said it would not participate in the summit.

READ ALSO: Switzerland to host Ukraine peace conference without Russian involvement 

What about Geneva – will it be able to maintain its diplomatic role?

Russia’s interference has undoubtedly inflicted some damage, as evidenced by its stance on Switzerland in general, and its pressure toward Syrian peace talks in particular.

However, given that Geneva has been “at it” for many decades, and successfully so, it is too early to count it out as the world’s “peace capital”.

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