Just over 70,000 signatures were deposited last Tuesday at the Federal Chancellery.

The initiative, entitled "Living in Dignity - for an unconditional, financeable basic income", was intended to guarantee the right to a life in dignity and self-determination.

The amount of the basic income would have been fixed in a law. The basic income for all persons domiciled in the country was to be financed by a share of the wealth produced by the national economy, such as a micro-tax on all transactions or a direct levy on companies.

The initiative committee, composed of a group of independent people, including Mr. Oswald Sigg, former Vice-Chancellor of the Confederation, submitted the 70,000 or so initials obtained to the Federal Chancellery on March 21 in the form of a petition. [+]

Raffael Wüthrich, coordinator, at a collection of signatures in the street

Only half of the signatures for the second federal popular initiative for a UBI have been collected, and there are only four months left to collect the remaining 60'000 signatures. The committee of the initiative "Living with Dignity - For an unconditional, financeable basic income" has therefore decided to change its strategy and to put the fate of the initiative in the hands of the grassroots, the basic income movement, and all the organizations and people who support the UBI. But this will only work if many people take ownership of the initiative and if all forces unite to go and collect the missing signatures in the streets. Everyone who can do so is invited to collect signatures, and spread the word about the collection in their personal circle.

The essential information and possibilities of action concerning this last phase are available on the website of the initiative (DE/FR), and are summarized in the following message of Raffael Wüthrich, the campaign coordinator: [+]

The committee of BIEN-Switzerland regrets to announce the death of Bernard Kundig, member of the committee and former vice-president of BIEN-Switzerland, from Geneva, who passed away suddenly on September 7, 2022. He had a doctorate in sociology specializing in work and a degree in law. He had worked first in Paris, then in Frankfurt and finally in Geneva and Athens. [+]

The collection of signatures for the second popular initiative for an unconditional basic income has been going on for a few months. But still too few people are aware of it and the collection is progressing with difficulty.

We would therefore be pleased if you could help us, as far as you are able, to collect signatures. Hence the following requests: [+]

Grand Council - Economic Commission - Members present

Mr. Ralph Kundig and Mr. Gabriel Barta, respectively President and Vice-president of BIEN Switzerland, were interviewed on 22 November 2021 by the Economics Commission of the Grand Conseil of Geneva. This committee is currently examining the proposed motion, “A pilot experiment of unconditional basic income (UBI) in Geneva”. The hearing, which lasted nearly two hours, was divided into two phases: a visual presentation (FR) of the project explained (FR) by Mr. Kundig, followed by a discussion. [+]