Wage classes in structural work: which one are you in?

The LMV/CN is the collective agreement for the main construction sector. The Federal Council has extended its main rules to all companies in the sector. The new LMV/CN covers 2026 to 2031. Its classes are set in art. 38.

Your class must be written on your payslip (art. 39 LMV/CN).

Here are the 2026 minimums (art. 37 LMV/CN). The hourly wage is the monthly wage divided by 176, rounded (art. 37 para. 2).

In CHF: per hour / per month.

The breakdown is set in annex 4 of the LMV/CN. It is different for each class, and different between the hourly wage and the monthly wage. Here is the minimum that applies in some cantons.

In CHF: per hour / per month. For Bern, Graubünden, St. Gallen and Schwyz, some municipalities or regions have another zone: see annex 4.

These are minimums. Your employer can pay more, and a local collective agreement can have other rules. If you are a temp worker, the agency must pay you at least this minimum when the site company is covered by the LMV/CN (Recruitment Act, AVG/LSE art. 20).

• From C to B: as a general rule after 3 years at most (36 months at 100%) in class C. Temp assignments count. With a new employer, the promotion can also come after 12 months in the company. The employer can refuse it if your assessment is not good enough, but it must report this to the joint commission (art. 38 LMV/CN).
• To A: with a federal vocational certificate (EBA/AFP) in structural work and 2 years on sites, training included. Or with at least 300 hours of courses in a recognised centre, of which at most 100 hours of integration courses. Crane operators and machine operators who do this work more than occasionally are also in class A (annex 5 LMV/CN).
• To Q: with a federal VET diploma (EFZ/CFC) in structural work (mason, road builder, paver...) and 3 years on sites, apprenticeship included (annex 5 LMV/CN).
• To CE: by passing the federal foreman school or being appointed by the employer.

Every year, between September and December, the employer does your assessment and adjusts the wage if needed (art. 40 LMV/CN). This is the right time to ask for a promotion.

Careful: right after an EFZ/CFC, the class Q minimum can be reduced by at most 15% in the 1st year, 10% in the 2nd and 5% in the 3rd, if you are hired on an open-ended contract (art. 39 LMV/CN).

The LMV/CN directly recognises some qualifications (annex 5):

• France: CAP de maçon + 1 year on sites = class A. Brevet professionnel or bac pro + 1 year on sites = class Q.
• Italy: "Scuola tecnica" certificate + 1 year on sites = class Q.
• Germany: structural work training gives the right to class A or Q.
• Austria: mason training gives the right to class Q.

For other countries, such as Portugal, Spain or Kosovo, the Swiss joint enforcement commission (CPSA, Commission paritaire suisse d'application) decides whether the qualification is equivalent. A foreign qualification not recognised for class Q still gives the right to class A.

Fictional example. A mason with a French CAP and two years on sites works in Lausanne, paid by the hour. He is in class A. In the canton of Vaud, class A is in the red zone: his minimum is CHF 32.80 an hour. For 176.00 h in the month, this makes at least 176.00 x 32.80 = CHF 5'772.80, not counting holidays, the 13th-month salary and allowances.