Ruag warns 2,000 jobs may be lost through Swiss export ban

Swiss defence group Ruag has warned that up to 2,000 jobs - almost one-third of its total workforce - could be lost if the country's electorate back a popular initiative that would ban the national export of defence materiel.

The vote on the initiative 'For a Ban on War Material Exports' will take place on 29 November. Under Swiss law, such a referendum can be trigged if campaigners gather at least 100,000 signatures in support. A petition containing 109,000 signatures was put forward in September 2007. It called for such an initiative, with the aim of outlawing the export of defence materiel from Switzerland. At the time of the petition's submission, it had the support of Switzerland's Social Democratic Party and Green Party.

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