The Swiss tourism is usually mine not gold. The Jungfrau Railways, by contrast, record profit to record profit. Last year, 48 million Swiss francs remained in the Treasury of the company, is 15 per cent more than in the previous year.

Not only is the Jungfraujoch is a popular one – in 2018, in turn, came to over a Million visitors, but also the other mountain of the group, including those on the Harder tracks. Even the winter sports business grew again last year something.

The shareholders will be happy: The dividend will be increased from 2.40 to 2.80 Swiss francs. The heads can look forward to such profit increases are normally to rising bonuses. Different in the case of the Jungfrau Railways: The Board of Directors decided to cap the wages of management, as it is called in the yesterday published the annual report. So Chef Urs Kessler will earn in the future to a maximum of 800’000 Swiss francs, while his two colleagues in the Executive Committee a maximum of 500’000 Swiss francs.

The reason for this: The Board of Directors compares the boss wages of the own company with those of a comparison group. This consists of other tourism enterprises and other listed companies in the Canton of Bern. Due to the profit growth, the chief wages of the Jungfrau Railways had reached the “upper limit of the comparison band”, write the Jungfrau Railways in the annual report.

Over a Million visitors in 2018: The Jungfrau Railways generated in the last year, a tidy profit. Photo: Keystone

Say: The record profits of the company in accordance with the Bonus rules of the Jungfrau Railways led to a sharp increase in the chief wages – what would be well received by shareholders and the Public on a lack of understanding.

still a “special premium”

The three members of the Executive Committee according to the annual report, the wage lid already in 2018. Urs Kessler deserved still more, namely, 855’000 Swiss francs. This is justified with a Service, as well as a special premium of 25’000 Swiss francs “as a result of the receipt of the building permit for the V-rail”. In the previous year, Kessler 809’000 Swiss francs earned, so only slightly more than he will in the future.

The Board of Directors, in turn, has deleted themselves already for fiscal year 2017, the bonuses, and now receives in addition to the fixed fees only – like all employees, a young woman tracks – discounted shares. Overall, the Board of Directors President Thomas Bieger, rector of the University of St. Gallen deserved, in the past year, 161’000 Swiss francs and, therefore, practically the same as in the previous year.

The wages are pushed, in comparison with
other companies
to the “upper limit”.

it is unclear whether the wage cover came on pressure from the outside. No public criticism of the chief wage of the young woman has been loud. The two largest shareholders, the Berner Kantonalbank (14 percent) and building insurance Bern (7 percent) are represented by their bosses in the Board of Directors of the Jungfrau Railways. As a semi-state company, BEKB and the GVB with the public effect of Manager wages should be familiar.

Urs Kessler’s Motivation has not suffered under the wage cover, apparently. With the opening of the V-rail additional capacity for thousands of visitors. The new gondola up to the Male’s already in the next December, the second gondola to the Eiger glacier in December 2020. According to Kessler, in this train, the ticket prices should be increased for the time being, “one or two francs”.

The Jungfrau Railways-in-chief does not want to generate only new paths to more revenue, but also with the tourist Trappings. The Jungfrau Railways operate also own Restaurants. Already she has taken over the restaurant on the Kleine Scheidegg. This is achieved in 2018, with a turnover of 4 million francs. The Restaurants will take on the Eiger glacier and the Jungfraujoch, the company this or next year.

The railway is to watch dealer

Also in the area of Shopping, Kessler still sees plenty of sales potential. The Jungfrau Railways are planning in Interlaken, a great new gift shop with a built-in Ticket counter. The “shopping experience” will be opened in September. In addition to Souvenirs to be sold in the Store also watches. As Kessler says the “Federal government”, will move the first of 2015 opened the Swatch Store in Interlaken in the building of the Jungfrau Railways.

On the Jungfraujoch, the train will be, however, even the watch seller. The company terminated the cooperation with the top countries watches retailer Kirchhofer, operates on 3466 meters above sea level, a Boutique. Instead, the young woman want tracks in the future, two watches stores operate on the yoke and one in the new Terminal of the V-Bahn in Grindelwald-Grund. Already today, the Jungfrau Railways to put in the souvenir shops a year, almost 9 million Swiss francs of this amount is expected to increase significantly. (The Federal government)

Created: 29.03.2019, 06:43 PM