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Swiss referendum backs executive pay curbs
BBC ^ | 3/3/13 | BBC Staff

Posted on 03/05/2013 6:38:08 AM PST by ksen

Swiss voters have overwhelmingly backed proposals to impose some of the world's strictest controls on executive pay, final referendum results show.

Nearly 68% of the voters supported plans to give shareholders a veto on compensation and ban big payouts for new and departing managers.

Business groups argued the proposals would damage Swiss competitiveness.

But analysts say ordinary Swiss are concerned about a growing economic divide in the country.

The vote came just days after the EU approved measures to cap bankers' bonuses.

(Excerpt) Read more at bbc.co.uk ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Foreign Affairs; Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS:
Wait, I thought Switzerland was like Galt's Gulch or something?
1 posted on 03/05/2013 6:38:11 AM PST by ksen
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To: ksen

Quite right too. Collectively, shareholders own the company. The idea that they had no right to veto their bonuses was a violation of their property rights.


2 posted on 03/05/2013 6:41:41 AM PST by sinsofsolarempirefan
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To: ksen

Eat-the-rich populism is about to sweep the planet, it seems. Does not help that so many banks and Wall Street types keep doing incredibly stupid, short-sighted things to encourage this trend.


3 posted on 03/05/2013 6:41:59 AM PST by Buckeye McFrog
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To: Buckeye McFrog

Which is it? “Eat the rich populism” or giving shareholders the tools to protect their property?


4 posted on 03/05/2013 6:51:29 AM PST by ksen
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To: Buckeye McFrog

Eat-the-rich populism is about to sweep the planet, it seems.

Given that most of the super rich are far left, rig the system, kill off the poor types, so be it.


5 posted on 03/05/2013 6:53:08 AM PST by freedomfiter2 (Brutal acts of commission and yawning acts of omission both strengthen the hand of the devil.)
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To: sinsofsolarempirefan

Quite right too. Collectively, shareholders own the company.

Exactly, corporate boards have been stealing from the real owners for too long.


6 posted on 03/05/2013 6:55:13 AM PST by freedomfiter2 (Brutal acts of commission and yawning acts of omission both strengthen the hand of the devil.)
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To: sinsofsolarempirefan

It was called the “Abzocker Initiative” which means Rip-off Initiative.

http://www.abzockerinitiativeja.ch/

The departing CEO of Novartis became the poster child for voting in favor of this national referendum.

Novartis CEO pay cited as Swiss weigh limits to exec compensation

http://www.fiercepharma.com/story/novartis-ceo-pay-cited-swiss-weigh-limits-exec-compensation/2013-01-09


7 posted on 03/05/2013 7:07:54 AM PST by Hotlanta Mike ("Governing a great natiorn is like cooking a small fish - too much handling will spoil it." Lao Tzu)
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To: ksen

RE: Executive Pay Curbs

Who is curbing this? The shareholders or the government?

If it’s a private company, what the heck does the government have to do with it?


8 posted on 03/05/2013 7:14:13 AM PST by SeekAndFind
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To: freedomfiter2
Given that most of the super rich are far left,

Yeah, gonna need some evidence for that one.

9 posted on 03/05/2013 7:29:40 AM PST by ksen (". . . organized greed always defeats disorganized democracy" - Matt Taibbi)
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To: ksen

Executive pay and competitiveness are not in opposition. This is a false argument.

The trouble with ridiculously large executive compensation is that it is a rigged deal by “incestuous” boards of directors.

Most people imagine boards of directors with the old model of majority shareholders sitting around the table with the president and CEO. But the reality today is that many board members are proxies for other corporations, hirelings that sit on several boards.

Thus they have no personal loyalty to that company or its shareholders, and are more than happy to overcompensate its top executives, because that CEO or president has their own proxy on the board of the first proxies company, who will do the same for them.

So giving the common shareholders more say in executive compensation will do much to actually protect these companies, returning it to real market value.


10 posted on 03/05/2013 7:59:32 AM PST by yefragetuwrabrumuy (Best WoT news at rantburg.com)
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To: ksen

I have no problem with this....Shareholders should have a say in executive compensation.


11 posted on 03/05/2013 8:01:43 AM PST by dfwgator
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To: yefragetuwrabrumuy
The trouble with ridiculously large executive compensation is that it is a rigged deal by “incestuous” boards of directors.

Yep.

12 posted on 03/05/2013 8:02:52 AM PST by dfwgator
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