It's been a year of intense activity. In 2011 the AVR has actively represented the interests of Roche’s Basel and Kaiseraugst employees in a number of projects. These include implementation of Operational Excellence (OE), development of the Opportunity Management programme, various HR partner projects, the roll-out of the new Compensation and Performance Management approach and, most recently, the wage negotiations for 2012 (see below). Alongside these important tasks, the AVR also organised a range of activities, such as the popular "bike to work" month, or the "Come Together Party", to name just two.

But there’s still plenty to do! In the coming year we will continue to champion your interests as Roche employees and to invite you along to some great events.

Wishing you and your loved ones a happy Christmas and all the best for 2012.

Best regards
Roland Frank, AVR President

The key arguments put forward by the AVR during the 2011/2012 salary negotiations focused on the above-average productivity and value generation of the pharmaceutical industry coupled with Roche's strong position in the market on the one hand, and on the price increases brought in by health insurance providers and the growing scope for voluntary make-up contributions to the Pension Funds on the other. Only an appropriate increase in real earnings would strengthen consumers’ purchasing power, it argued. The AVR also stressed that the strong results achieved by Roche are attributable to the outstanding performance of its employees. Despite difficult circumstances such as an increased workload due to job cuts under Operational Excellence or the merging of different cultures during the Genentech integration, the people who work at Roche have achieved exceptional things in recent months. Against this backdrop, the AVR went into the negotiations with a call for a 2.2% increase in the total payroll with no impact on bonuses, adjustments, special benefits or promotion bonuses.

For their part, Site Head Matthias M. Baltisberger and Bruno Weissen, Head of Human Resources at Basel, emphasised the difficult market conditions experienced that the company was facing as a result of the strength of the Swiss franc and the increasing pricing pressures on medicines both in Switzerland and throughout the world. They stated that these constraints had had a substantial influence on the employer's offer. In the interests of maintaining Roche Basel's competitiveness and long-term security, they argued that the total payroll increase needed to be significantly lower than the figure put forward by the AVR.

Moreover, towards the end of the year pay rise forecasts for 2012 were producing lower values than the data used by the AVR when it formulated its initial demand in mid-October. Management assured the AVR team that should the next year prove the lower forecasts to be inaccurate, this fact would be taken into account in salary negotiations.

At the end of the second, intensive round of negotiations, the company representatives agreed to set the offer at 1.5%. On the following day, after consultation with the AVR Committee, the AVR representatives signed an agreement for a 1.5% increase in total payroll. At the same time, they reiterated the AVR’s expectation that the company would take steps to alleviate the above-average psychological and physical strain on staff, particularly in view of the significantly lower than expected payroll increase.

AVR members, their families and co-habiting partners can obtain preferential terms for health insurance cover with Sympany. Please visit the AVR website for more details and the form for requesting an online quote.

Anyone who has purchased supplementary insurance cover for hospital treatment ("hospita" class insurance) through the AVR still has until the end of January 2012 to cancel this cover with retroactive effect for the year 2012. Cancellation is worthwhile if you have a "hospita halbprivat", "hospita privat", "hospita flex" or "hospita global" policy. From 1 January 2012, Roche will be offering all employees in Switzerland supplementary health insurance for accidents. The insurance will be provided by CSS Versicherung and Roche will bear the cost.

Employees wishing to cancel "hospita" policies must ensure that Sympany receives their written notice of termination by 31 January 2012 at the latest. Address: Sympany, Peter-Merian Weg 4, 4002 Basel, or by e-mail to: vip.trust@sympany.ch.

For over six years, AVR members have been able to take advantage of a range of special offers on health, wellness and recreational programmes and activities. These offers, all subsidised by the AVR, have proven to be extremely popular. Not only will all our existing offers be continuing in 2012, we have added some new ones in the ‘wellness’ category.

Just opened, the new Turkish bath in St. Johann already promises to be a great place to rest and relax in the very heart of Basel, with its steam and warm water areas, Hamam, and lather, kese (peeling glove) and chill-out rooms. There is also a lounge serving light refreshments. As an AVR member, you pay just CHF 24 instead of CHF 32 for admission to the baths and are eligible for additional mid-day specials.

We’re also now offering reduced-price day passes for the Aqualon thermal baths in Bad Säckingen. The healing power of the sodium chloride-rich waters from Bad Säckingen’s thermal springs has been well-known for centuries. Even the Romans reportedly came to this area to relax and take the waters.

AVR members can also enjoy discounts of up to 50% at the following destinations: Aquabasilea in Pratteln, Balinea Thermen in Bad Bellingen, Cassiopeia Therme in Badenweiler, the Tanglay medical massage studio in Birsfelden, the Sole-Uno park resort in Rheinfelden, the Technorama Swiss science centre in Winterthur, the Wasserfallen cable car at Reigoldswil and the Basel Zoo. We also support those with sporting ambitions: the AVR will reimburse CHF 100 a year to anyone who takes out a year's membership at a recognised fitness centre outside Roche in Switzerland, Germany or France. Please see the AVR website www.avroche.ch for further details of all offers.

All discounts apply to AVR members and one companion, with the exception of medical massage and fitness centre offers: in these cases, the discount can only be used by the AVR membership card holder. At Technorama, the discount applies to all family members.

Together with ACADEMIX Consult AG, the AVR is offering Roche employees advice and information on a range of taxation and asset management topics. The service is designed for people who live in Switzerland (especially newcomers) and for German cross-border commuters looking for information on matters like optimising their tax situation (getting the most from tax deductions/withholding tax), taxes on second- and third-pillar pension assets, social security and health insurance, or investments and strategic asset planning in general.

Independent consulting firm ACADEMIX Consult AG will work with you to develop individual strategies aimed at securing and optimising your personal and professional future. Roche employees receive a 25% discount on consultancy ACADEMIX Consult AG’s fees. Furthermore, ACADEMIX Consult AG offers seminars that you can attend free of charge. For information on consultancy services and seminars, please visit www.academix.ch/roche (live as of December  22, 2011) or contact Frank Windhövel, tel. 061 465 52 42, frank.windhoevel@academix.ch. In addition, the AVR is launching a new "financial advice" section on its website (www.avroche.ch), where it will be publishing regular briefings by ACADEMIX Consult AG on financial topics of interest.

The "Grenzgänger-Infos / Aktuelles" section of the AVR website will continue to include valuable tips for cross-border commuters on matters such as taxation, insurance and pensions. The information in this section was last updated in December 2011.