On 3 March 2024, the Swiss people and cantons accepted the popular initiative "For a better life in retirement", known as the "13th OASI pension initiative", by 58.24% of the vote. Launched by the Swiss Trade Union Federation (SGB-USS), it provides for an additional annual pension to be paid to all OASI beneficiaries.
The result was historic on two counts: never before had an initiative expanding the OASI been accepted at the ballot box, and it was the first time a union-led initiative on a social theme had cleared the hurdle of the polls. The double majority (people and cantons) was reached, with 15 of the 23 cantonal votes in favour.
On the same day, the Young Liberals' initiative to raise the retirement age to 66 was massively rejected by every canton, underlining the OASI-friendly mood.
The Federal Council, the right and business circles fought the initiative, deeming it unfunded and poorly targeted. The Yes camp stressed pensioners' loss of purchasing power in the face of rising health insurance premiums and rents. Turnout, at 58%, was well above average.
▲ Cantons that accepted Jura (82%), Neuchâtel (78%), Geneva (75%), Vaud (74%), Fribourg (72%), Ticino (71%), Valais, Zurich, Bern, Solothurn, Basel-Stadt, Basel-Landschaft, Schaffhausen, Glarus, Graubünden, Aargau | ▼ Cantons that rejected Appenzell Inner Rhodes (69%), Obwalden, Schwyz, Zug, Uri, Nidwalden, Lucerne, Appenzell Outer Rhodes, St. Gallen, Thurgau |
Actors and personalities
▲ Yes camp • Swiss Trade Union Federation (SGB-USS) (Pierre-Yves Maillard), the initiative's author • Social Democratic Party, Greens • Trade unions (Unia, VPOD) and pensioners' associations (AVIVO) • Part of the GLP and Centre grassroots individually | ▼ No camp • Federal Council • FDP, SVP, The Centre (majority), Green Liberals, EPP • economiesuisse, Employers' Association and sgv-usam • Pension and insurance circles |
Arguments and verdicts
▲ Arguments FOR (Yes camp) A 13th pension for all retirees « Every OASI pensioner will receive an additional monthly pension. » — Initiative committee / SGB-USS, 2024 ✓ Argument confirmed The 13th pension will be paid for the first time in December 2026, its terms adopted by the Federal Council on 12 November 2025. The promised benefit is being delivered, in line with the text voted on. Source : FSIO, 2025 The OASI can afford this pension « The OASI is solid, the country can afford it. » — Yes committee, 2024 ✗~ Partly refuted Financing was not settled by the initiative. It took more than two years of parliamentary debate to reach, in 2025-2026, a mixed financing combining a VAT increase and a rise in salary contributions (+0.2 points). The pension is therefore not "free": it requires new levies. Source : Parliament / FSIO, 2025-2026 Simple, automatic payment through the OASI « The 13th pension will be paid automatically, with no new bureaucracy. » — Initiative committee, 2024 ✓ Argument confirmed Payment runs through the existing OASI system, automatically and without any application by recipients, from December 2026. The promise of administrative simplicity is being kept. Source : FSIO, 2025 | ▼ Arguments AGAINST (No camp) The initiative does not say how to fund it « They promise without saying who pays. » — Federal Council, 2024 ✓~ Partly confirmed The text indeed specified no financing, which triggered two years of parliamentary deadlock. A solution was eventually found (VAT + salary contributions), but at the cost of new levies, largely confirming the concern raised. Source : Parliament, 2025-2026 It is a scattergun: wealthy retirees get it too « You give the rich the same as the poor. » — Opponents of the initiative, 2024 ✓ Argument confirmed The 13th pension is universal, with no income or wealth condition. Wealthy retirees receive it just like everyone else. The argument about imperfect targeting is factually accurate. Source : Initiative text; FSIO The bill will weigh on the working population « It is workers who will pay. » — economiesuisse, 2024 ✓~ Partly confirmed The mixed financing adopted includes a rise in salary contributions (+0.2 points), borne by the working population, on top of the VAT paid by all. Workers therefore do contribute to the financing, even if the burden is shared with consumers. Source : Parliament, 2025-2026 |
Factual record
3 Confirmed | 2 Partly confirmed | 1 Partly refuted | 0 Refuted |
| ✓ | The promised benefit will be paid The 13th OASI pension will start being paid in December 2026, in line with the popular will. The initiative's central goal is delivered. Source : FSIO / Federal Council, 2025 |
| ~ | A financing settled late and at a real cost The initiative's silence on financing triggered two years of debate; the mixed solution (VAT + contributions) confirms that the pension has a cost (around 4 billion a year) borne by all. Source : Parliament, 2025-2026 |
| ~ | A universal, untargeted benefit As the No camp feared, the pension benefits all retirees, including the wealthiest, with no means test. Source : FSIO |
The acceptance of the 13th OASI pension will stand as one of the most striking social votes of the decade: for the first time, the people and cantons approved an initiative expanding old-age insurance benefits, handing the unions an unprecedented victory on their home ground.
The Yes camp's concrete promises are being delivered: the benefit will be paid from December 2026, automatically, through the existing system. On that score, the commitment is kept.
But after the vote the debate shifted to the question the initiative left open: financing. It took more than two years of parliamentary negotiation to reach a compromise combining a VAT rise and higher salary contributions. The No camp's fears — an unfunded pension, ultimately paid for by new levies — were largely borne out, even if a solution was found.
As for the "scattergun" criticism, it remains factually accurate: the pension is universal. The vote settled the question of principle; it left Parliament the arduous task of footing the bill.