What UNIA does

Unia (legal name: Gewerkschaft Unia, also styled Sindacato Unia) is Switzerland's largest private-sector trade union, organized as a Swiss association and headquartered in Bern. Founded in 2004, Unia serves approximately 170,873 members across more than 100 occupational branches grouped into four sectors: Construction, Services (Terziario), Industry, and Crafts (Artigianato). The union's primary function is the negotiation and administration of approximately 240 collective bargaining agreements (GAV/CCL) covering around 1.2 million workers in Switzerland, setting minimum wages, working hours, vacation entitlements, and other employment conditions in sectors ranging from main construction and the MEM industry to retail, hospitality, private security, and care.

Unia's business model is membership-dues-funded (subscription/recurring), with no external investors, no funding rounds, and an egalitarian internal pay structure where the highest salary is 2.9x the lowest. The union operates the Unia Arbeitslosenkasse, the largest unemployment insurance fund in Switzerland, disbursing approximately CHF 1.4 billion per year in statutory unemployment benefits (roughly 28% of the Swiss national total) across approximately 65 dedicated offices. The go-to-market is community-led: approximately 90 local secretariats across 13 regions provide face-to-face member services, supported by workplace union militants, the multilingual unia.ch website, the "Work" newspaper, social media, and political campaigns, initiatives, and referendums on labor and social policy. Unia maintains wholly-owned subsidiaries Unia Viva AG, Zivag Verwaltungen AG, and Unionsdruckerei Bern AG for property and operational services, and is affiliated with major global union federations including IndustriALL, UNI Global Union, ITF, IBB, and the ETUC.

Technically, Unia operates with no proprietary AI or technology platform. Its public-facing infrastructure is built on the open-source CMS TYPO3, with standard enterprise IT (Microsoft, Oracle) and conventional marketing and analytics tooling (Google Analytics, Google Ads, Google Tag Manager, Facebook Pixel, LinkedIn Insight Tag, Mouseflow, Oracle Eloqua). Leadership comprises a President (Vania Alleva), two Vice Presidents (Véronique Polito for the Tertiary sector, Martin Tanner for Finance, asset/property management, and central services), and four sector heads responsible for the Craft, Industry, Construction, and Unemployment Insurance operations. The 2025 ordinary Congress in Briga (October 23-25, 2025) and the June 14, 2025 national women's strike day exemplify Unia's blend of statutory representation, mass mobilization, and political advocacy.

Name

UNIA

Legal name

Gewerkschaft Unia

Website

https://unia.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Unia is Switzerland's largest private-sector trade union, representing 170,873 members across construction, services, industry, and crafts, negotiating approximately 240 collective bargaining agreements covering 1.2 million workers and administering the country's largest unemployment insurance fund disbursing CHF 1.4 billion annually.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Bern

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Membership dues: Unia generates revenue primarily from membership fees and dues paid by its approximately 170,873 members (state: end 2025). These fees fund union operations, collective bargaining activities, member services, and political campaigns.
2. Unemployment insurance fund operations: Unia operates the largest unemployment insurance fund in Switzerland, disbursing on average approximately 1.4 billion Swiss francs per year in unemployment benefits, representing about 28% of Switzerland's total. This is a statutory scheme administered by Unia, not a revenue-generating stream per se, but a major operational activity.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

UNIA is Switzerland's largest private-sector trade union, representing approximately 170,873 members and negotiating and administering about 240 collective bargaining agreements (GAV/CCL) that cover roughly 1.2 million workers across construction, services, industry, and crafts. It provides members with legal protection, advice, further education, and access to Switzerland's largest unemployment insurance fund (Unia Arbeitslosenkasse), and engages in political advocacy on labor, wage, and social issues.

Product overview

UNIA is Switzerland's largest trade union, offering core services including collective bargaining negotiations for approximately 240 collective labor agreements (GAV/CCL) covering about 1.2 million workers, member legal protection and advice, unemployment insurance administration (Unia Arbeitslosenkasse/Cassa Disoccupazione Unia), and training programs. The organization operates across four sectors (Construction, Craft, Industry, Tertiary) with approximately 65 offices serving over 170,000 members. UNIA does not operate as a software technology product company but as a labor union providing membership services, collective bargaining representation, and unemployment benefits administration.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Collective Bargaining Agreement (GAV/CCL) Negotiation and Administration Negotiation and administration of approximately 240 collective bargaining agreements (Gesamtarbeitsverträge / Contrats collectifs de travail) that set minimum wages, working hours, vacation, notice periods, parental leave, and other employment conditions across the construction, services, industry, and crafts sectors in Switzerland, covering approximately 1.2 million workers.
• Unia Arbeitslosenkasse (Unia Unemployment Insurance Fund) Statutory unemployment insurance fund administered by Unia through approximately 65 offices nationwide, disbursing on average approximately CHF 1.4 billion per year in unemployment benefits, equivalent to about 28% of Switzerland's total unemployment insurance payments. Available to workers covered by Swiss unemployment insurance.
• Member Legal Protection (Rechtsschutz) and Advice Legal protection and advisory service for Unia members, including representation in disputes with employers, labor law guidance, and consultation, delivered through approximately 90 regional secretariats and union staff across Switzerland.
• Further Education and Language Courses for Members Education and training services for Unia members, including Unia language courses (Sprachkurse), career training, and other further education offerings delivered through regional secretariats.
• Discounted Holiday Offers (Reka and Hotel Partnerships) Discounted holiday offerings for Unia members through partnerships with Reka (Reka-Ferien) and various hotels and resorts, providing reduced-price vacation options as a member benefit.
• Professional Contribution Refund (Rückerstattung Berufsbeitrag) Refund to Unia members of a large portion of the professional contribution (Berufsbeitrag) paid for the collective bargaining agreement.

Quantifiable outcome

• 240 collective bargaining agreements negotiated and administered, covering approximately 1.2 million workers in Switzerland
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Swiss Trade Union Federation (Schweizerischer Gewerkschaftsbund / Unione sindacale svizzera, USS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUnia is a member of the Swiss Trade Union Federation (USS/SGB), the national umbrella organization for trade unions in Switzerland. Through USS, Unia participates in coordinated political action, shares resources, and aligns on national labor policy campaigns including initiatives and referendums.
• IndustriALL Global UnionmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUnia is affiliated with IndustriALL Global Union, an international federation of trade unions representing over 50 million workers in 140 countries. Unia participates in IndustriALL campaigns for human rights and trade union rights globally, and coordinates with multinational companies on works council coordination.
• UNI Global UnionmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUnia is affiliated with UNI Global Union, a global union federation representing service sector workers worldwide. Unia participates in UNI's campaigns and coordinates internationally on trade union rights.
• International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUnia is affiliated with the ITF, the international federation of transport workers' unions, representing transport workers globally.
• International Building and Wood Workers' Federation (IBB)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUnia is affiliated with the IBB, an international federation representing workers in construction, woodworking, and related industries.
• European Transport Workers' Federation (ETF)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUnia is affiliated with the ETF. Through ETF, Unia participates in European transport sector coordination and works on cross-border worker rights issues.
• UNI EuropamajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUnia is affiliated with UNI Europa. Through UNI Europa, Unia coordinates service sector union activities at the European level.
• IndustriAll EuropamajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUnia is affiliated with IndustriAll Europa. Through this affiliation, Unia coordinates with European industry unions on common campaigns, minimum wage policy, and anti-dumping actions.
• European Federation of Trade Unions and Workers in Building and Wood (FETBB/FETBB)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUnia is affiliated with FETBB, the European federation of trade unions in the building and wood sector.
• European Federation of Workers in the Food, Agriculture and Tourism Sectors and Allied Branches (EFFAT)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUnia is affiliated with EFFAT, representing workers in food, agriculture, tourism, and related sectors in Europe.
• European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC/CES)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUnia participates in the activities of the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC/CES), focusing on European minimum wage policy and joint actions against wage dumping.
• SOLIFONDSminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUnia supports and collaborates with SOLIFONDS, a Swiss foundation that supports workers' organizations and human rights campaigns internationally, particularly in countries where trade union rights are under threat.
• Solidar SuisseminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUnia collaborates with Solidar Suisse, a Swiss development organization, on campaigns and projects promoting workers' rights internationally.
• UIL (Unione Italiana del Lavoro)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUnia is affiliated with UIL, an Italian trade union confederation, for international solidarity and coordination.
• Unia Viva AGcoreOthersUnia Viva AG is a subsidiary company of Unia (along with Zivag Verwaltungen AG). It is referenced in the union's organizational structure and operations, including in real estate/property management and related services.
• Zivag Verwaltungen AGcoreOthersZivag Verwaltungen AG is a subsidiary company of Unia, involved in the union's property management and operational activities.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• SYNA: SYNA is a major Swiss trade union covering construction, hospitality, and services — directly competing with UNIA for the same blue-collar and service-sector member base and overlapping on GAV negotiations in construction and crafts.
• syndicom: syndicom is a Swiss trade union for media, telecommunications, postal and logistics workers, also affiliated with USS; it competes with UNIA in the tertiary/logistics segment and operates under the same social-partnership framework.
• Travail.Suisse: Travail.Suisse is the second-largest Swiss union confederation, organizing employees across services and industry and negotiating collective labor agreements in overlapping sectors — making it UNIA's closest Swiss head-to-head competitor.
• VPOD/SSP: VPOD (Verband des Personals öffentlicher Dienste) is a Swiss trade union focused on public-sector and social-services workers; it is a fellow USS affiliate with comparable collective-bargaining structures and a similar grassroots organizing model.

Broad incumbents

• IndustriALL Global Union: IndustriALL Global Union is UNIA's international federation for manufacturing/mining/energy workers; it represents the global coordination layer above UNIA's industry-sector activities and is comparable in structure (federation of national industrial unions).
• IG Metall: IG Metall is Germany's largest industrial union, also affiliated with IndustriALL; it operates a similar social-partnership model in MEM industries and represents the closest international benchmark for UNIA's industry-sector work.
• Schweizerischer Gewerkschaftsbund (USS/SGB): USS is the Swiss Trade Union Federation — UNIA's national umbrella — coordinating policy, referendums, and political action across all affiliated Swiss unions and providing shared services and lobbying capacity.
• UNI Global Union: UNI Global Union is UNIA's international federation for service-sector workers; comparable in governance (affiliated union model) and in driving cross-border campaigns in retail, finance, and logistics.

Others

• European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC): ETUC is the Brussels-based confederation of European national trade union federations; it operates one level above UNIA and shapes EU-level minimum-wage and labor-policy frameworks that materially affect Swiss bargaining leverage.

Regional players

• Garanto (vpb): Garanto is a smaller Swiss public-sector and administrative trade union with comparable collective-bargaining functions for federal/state employees; it is thematically adjacent but operates in a separate segment from UNIA's private-sector focus.

Market position

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat7 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/UniaSchweiz
• Instagraminstagram.com/uniachev
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/gotomyapartment
• Xx.com/uniaschweiz
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCz8Xx6Z0xz9Qx5v1aT4lK5Q

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Subsidiaries4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about UNIA