Term of office 2024-2027: How the Suva Council is composed
The Federal Council has elected the members of the Suva Council for the new 2024-2027 term of office. The first constituent meeting of the newly composed body was recently held at Suva's headquarters in Lucerne.
At the end of November 2023, the Federal Council elected all Suva Council members for a four-year term of office from 2024 to 2027. On January 9, 2024, the Council held its inaugural meeting for the first time at Suva's headquarters in Lucerne. In particular, it elected the Chairman and the two Vice-Chairmen as well as the members and substitute members of the Suva Council Committee and the three commissions Financial Supervision, Real Estate Supervision and Military Insurance, as detailed in the Suva media release.
Composition of the Suva Council
According to Suva, 29 of the previous 40 council members stood for re-election. 11 new members were elected, 8 of them women and 3 men. The proportion of women on the Suva Council has increased by 4 seats overall and now stands at 17 seats (42.5%). The average age of the Council members has fallen slightly compared to the outgoing members, by just over three years to 54. The Italian-speaking members now have an additional representative, it is also reported. This brings them to a total of 6 members (15%). French-speaking Switzerland has one seat less than before and is represented by 10 members (25%). The number of members from German-speaking Switzerland has remained the same (24 seats, 60%). Suva thus fully complies with the requirements issued by the Federal Council for the representation of linguistic communities and genders.
Previous President re-elected
The previous Chairman of the Suva Council, the Ticino lawyer Gabriele Gendotti, was re-elected as Chairman, according to the information provided. On the employee side, Daniel Lampart, Head of Secretariat and Chief Economist at the Swiss Federation of Trade Unions (SGB), was re-elected as Vice President. On the employers' side, Kurt Gfeller, Deputy Director of the Swiss Trade Association (SGV), did not stand for re-election as Vice President. Roland Müller, Director of the Swiss Employers' Association, was elected in his place, according to Suva.
Gabriele Gendotti, President of the Suva Council, says: "Suva's customers are always at the center of all decisions. They are also the owners of Suva and their concerns are represented by the employer and employee representatives on the Suva Council. The constructive and active social partnership of the Suva Council enables balanced and sustainable solutions that strengthen Switzerland as a workplace."
Customers at the center
Suva is the largest accident insurance company in Switzerland and an important part of the Swiss social security system. Around half of all employees in Switzerland are insured against accidents and occupational illnesses with Suva, writes the organization. In addition to insurance, Suva's business model also includes accident prevention at work and during leisure time as well as rehabilitation and reintegration after an accident. Suva is financially independent and not profit-oriented. It passes on surpluses and profits to its customers in the form of lower premiums. In this way, Suva strengthens the performance of Switzerland as a workplace, it says.
As Suva's highest governing body, the Suva Council is mainly responsible for setting strategic goals and the means to achieve them. It is composed of social partners and comprises 16 representatives from the employer and 16 from the employee side, as well as 8 representatives from the federal government. The social partnership-based composition of the Suva Council enables broad-based, viable solutions. The Federal Council elects the members of the Suva Council for a four-year term of office. The current term of office runs until the end of 2027.
