SEV Swiss Union of transport workers

What SEV Swiss Union of transport workers does

SEV - Gewerkschaft des Verkehrspersonals (Swiss Union of Transport Workers) is a non-profit trade union founded in 1919 and headquartered in Bern, Switzerland. It represents workers across the Swiss public transport sector — including major railways (SBB, BLS, regional operators), bus companies, shipping lines, and aviation ground staff — providing collective bargaining representation across 76 collective (GAV) and firm (FAV) agreements, professional legal protection (Berufsrechtsschutz), and member services. SEV operates as the recognized social partner for the sector and is affiliated with the Swiss Trade Union Federation (SGB) and the European Transport Workers Federation (ETF).

SEV's core product is membership (SEV-Mitgliedschaft), bundled with a portfolio of services including the SEV-Zeitung newspaper (published ~15 times per year), legal protection, training and education (in-house and via Movendo), group insurance (Helvetia, KPT), banking (Bank Cler), travel benefits (Reka, HotelCard, Interhome), and specialized sub-federations such as SEV-GATA for aviation ground staff. The union also publishes occupational health research, including the TRAPHEAC bus driver health study with Unisanté Lausanne.

Revenue is generated primarily through membership dues deducted directly from members' salaries by employers, with contribution levels scaled to income and employment percentage. SEV distributes its services through a network of 8 regional secretariats covering Switzerland's major language regions, supported by the sev-online.ch multilingual web platform, an e-paper archive, and member login portal. The organization is governed by a board (Vorstand), management committee (Geschäftsleitung), and democratic congresses held periodically.

Name

SEV Swiss Union of transport workers

Legal name

SEV - Gewerkschaft des Verkehrspersonals

Website

https://sev-online.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

1919

Operating status

Operating

Short description

SEV is a Swiss non-profit trade union founded in 1919 that represents public transport workers across railways, buses, shipping, and aviation, providing collective bargaining across 76 agreements, legal protection, and member benefits to workers in Switzerland.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Bern

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices8 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: SEV generates revenue primarily through membership contributions/dues from transport sector workers. Members pay regular contributions which fund union activities, representation services, and member benefits.

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

SEV is a Swiss trade union representing workers in the public transport sector — railways, bus companies, shipping lines, and aviation ground services. It provides trade union membership that includes collective bargaining representation (76 GAV/collective agreements and firm-level FAV agreements), professional legal protection (Berufsrechtsschutz), vocational training, and member benefits such as group insurance, holiday offers, and banking services through partner organizations.

Product overview

SEV (Gewerkschaft des Verkehrspersonals / Swiss Union of Transport Workers) is a trade union for public transport workers in Switzerland. Rather than a technology company, SEV provides union membership services including collective bargaining representation, professional legal protection (Berufsrechtsschutz), and member benefits. The organization negotiates 76 collective agreements (GAV) covering various transport sectors. Core offerings include the SEV-Zeitung newspaper, Berufsrechtsschutz legal assistance, training programs through Movendo, insurance products (via Helvetia, KPT), holiday benefits (HotelCard, Reka), and banking services (Bank Cler). SEV also operates specialized divisions like SEV-GATA for aviation sector ground staff, and conducts research initiatives such as the TRAPHEAC health study for bus drivers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• SEV-GATA: SEV section representing aviation sector workers, including ground staff at Swiss and other aviation companies.
• SEV-GATA
• Movendo

Products and services

• SEV Membership (SEV-Mitgliedschaft) Core trade union membership product for individual Swiss public transport workers, providing collective bargaining representation, legal protection, member benefits, training access, and representation rights.
• Berufsrechtsschutz (Professional Legal Protection) Legal assistance service for members facing workplace issues related to their profession, included with SEV membership.
• Privat- und Verkehrsrechtsschutz (Private and Traffic Legal Protection) Optional legal protection insurance for private and traffic-related matters, available as a Coop-Multi add-on to SEV membership.
• Kurse und Weiterbildung (Training and Education) Vocational and trade union training programs including Arbeitszeitgesetz (AZG) courses and e-learning for periodic rail inspections, offered to SEV members.
• Gesamtarbeitsverträge (GAV / Collective Agreements) SEV negotiates and maintains 76 collective labor agreements (GAV) and firm-level agreements (FAV) covering workers at SBB, BLS, regional railways, bus companies, shipping lines, and aviation ground services.
• SEV-GATA (Aviation Sector Division) Specialized SEV division representing aviation ground staff at Swiss airports, including workers at Swiss and Swissport, with its own negotiation delegation led by Präsident Philipp Hadorn.
• Versicherungsangebote (Insurance Benefits) Group insurance offerings available to SEV members through partner Helvetia, including calendar accident insurance, private pension provisions, collective health insurance, vehicle insurance, and personal lines insurance.
• Ferienangebote (Holiday Benefits) Travel and holiday benefits for SEV members including HotelCard, Parkhotel Brenscino, GEW holiday homes, Interhome rentals, and vacation apartment cooperative access.
• Reka-Geld / Reka-Card Reka currency system offering discounts on holidays, travel, and leisure activities for SEV members.
• Bank Cler Banking Partnership Banking partnership offering SEV members preferential financial services through Bank Cler.
• Movendo Bildungsinstitut (Education Institute) Trade union education foundation providing courses accessible to SEV members for professional and union development, affiliated with SEV and the broader Swiss trade union movement.
• SEV-Zeitung (Union Newspaper) Union newspaper published approximately 15 times per year, covering collective agreements, working conditions, sector developments, and member stories; available in print and digital e-paper.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• ETF (European Transport Workers Federation)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSEV is a member of the ETF, the European Transport Workers Federation. This affiliation provides international solidarity with transport workers across Europe, enables cross-border cooperation on transport policy, and supports joint initiatives such as the Women in Rail agreement. SEV participates in ETF activities including the 4-Länder-Treffen (4-country meetings) with transport unions from Germany, Luxembourg, and Austria.
• SGB (Schweizerischer Gewerkschaftsbund / Swiss Trade Union Federation)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSEV is affiliated with the SGB, the largest umbrella organization for trade unions in Switzerland. Through this affiliation, SEV participates in coordinated union campaigns, political lobbying, and represents transport workers' interests in national policy discussions on labor law, social security, and economic policy.
• Helvetia VersicherungenminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership providing group insurance benefits to SEV members. Helvetia offers favorable conditions including complimentary accident death insurance (CHF 10,000) for new members for 3 months. The partnership enables SEV to offer additional member value.
• KPT (Krankenkasse)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerHealth insurance partner offering preferential conditions for SEV members. Address data may be shared with KPT for SEV-specific offers upon member consent.
• Bank ClerminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBanking partner offering financial services to SEV members. Address data may be shared with Bank Cler for SEV-specific offers upon member consent.
• Movendo (Stiftung Gewerkschaftsschule Schweiz)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMovendo is the education foundation of the Swiss trade union movement. SEV members have access to Movendo's courses and educational programs for professional and union development. SEV also has its own specific education program and supports the Movendo Förderverein (support association).
• RekaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSwiss travel and vacation benefits organization. SEV members can access Reka-Geld (Reka money/currency) and Reka-Card for vacation accommodations and travel benefits at preferential rates.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Travail.Suisse: Independent Swiss union federation representing employees in services, retail, and transport-related sectors; comparable as a Swiss labor umbrella but with broader sectoral coverage and a different political alignment than SEV.
• Unia: Switzerland's largest individual trade union with broad industrial coverage including some transport-adjacent workers; comparable as a Swiss labor organization with collective bargaining infrastructure, but serves a much broader industrial base than SEV's transport specialization.
• ver.di (Vereinte Dienstleistungsgewerkschaft): Large German services trade union with significant transport sector membership; comparable to SEV in representing transport workers under collective bargaining frameworks, but with a much broader sectoral scope and significantly larger membership.
• SGB (Schweizerischer Gewerkschaftsbund): Largest Swiss trade union umbrella federation of which SEV is a member; comparable as a national labor organization representing workers across multiple industries and providing political advocacy, but operates as an umbrella rather than a single-sector union.

Direct peers

• VPOD (Verband des Personals öffentlicher Dienste): Swiss public services union covering public sector workers including transit employees; closest domestic peer to SEV with overlapping representation in bus operators and public transport, and direct competition for the same Swiss public sector membership pool.
• ASLEF: UK trade union representing train drivers and rail workers; comparable to SEV as a specialized rail worker union with strong collective bargaining leverage, though focused on drivers rather than the broader transport worker scope SEV covers.
• EVG (Eisenbahn- und Verkehrsgewerkschaft): German trade union representing rail and transport workers; highly comparable to SEV in scope (rail and public transport), structure (collective bargaining with major rail operators), and challenges (EU liberalization, digitalization), though operating in the much larger German market.
• CGT Cheminots: French railway workers' union affiliated with CGT; directly comparable to SEV as a national rail worker union engaged in collective bargaining with the state rail operator (SNCF) and coordinating with SEV through ETF's 4-Länder-Treffen.
• vida (Verkehrs- und Dienstleistungsgewerkschaft): Austrian transport and services trade union; closely comparable to SEV as a national transport worker union participating in ETF's 4-Länder-Treffen, with similar collective bargaining scope across rail, bus, and aviation ground staff.

Others

• ETF (European Transport Workers Federation): European umbrella federation for transport worker unions of which SEV is a member; comparable as an organizing entity coordinating cross-border transport worker representation, though operating at federation level rather than as a single national union.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/Verkehrsgewerkschaft/videos
• Facebookfacebook.com/pages/SEV-Gewerkschaft-des-Verkehrspersonals/216636771699155
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sev-gewerkschaft-des-verkehrspersonals
• Instagraminstagram.com/gewerkschaft_sev

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Subsidiaries2 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 SEV Swiss Union of transport workers