Geneva to introduce minimum wage of £3,500 a month

Voters back measure amid reports of growing poverty linked to Covid-19 pandemic

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•  A father and his son queue at a free food distribution in Geneva. The Covid-19 pandemic has cast a spotlight on poor people in one of the world’s most expensive cities. Photograph: Fabrice Coffrini/AFP via Getty Images

  Geneva is to introduce a minimum wage of almost £3,500 a month, reported to be the highest in the world, after locals approved the measure in a surprise vote result sparked by reports of growing coronavirus-linked poverty in the Swiss city.

  The canton’s 500,000 voters passed the minimum wage proposed by local unions and leftwing parties, after twice rejecting it in 2011 and 2014.
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