We have a new Indian company here- the Indian workers are here on 6 months Visas - is this legal? (yes I know I am Swiss - but lived in UK for so long, haven't got a clue!). They are apparently paid $10 a day. So slavery exists in CH here and now?!?

CHF10 a day ? Sounds like Lohndumping.

Their work authorisation will be specified in their permit which the employer ought to be applying for.

One of the checks made when issuing work permits is that the salary paid equates to local rates. Obviously there is something wrong here.

6 month "visas" could be L permits. 4 month L permits may not attract the authorities attention but 6 month permits should.

How do they live on $10 a day ? Are they provided with accomodation which would be payment in kind. Any other benefits?

They have VERY basic accommodation in the factory. It's $10 not CHF.
This is obviously quite a lot when they save it up and get back home - but I can't get my head around it.

It sounds very dodgy indeed. How would non-EU non-Swiss get permits to work in Switzerland in a factory? Permits are only for well educated (degree level) and highly skilled / niche skillset workers.

Tried to Google it- but I am not sure yet. Can one actually be in employment on a L-permit? And we have a lot of 'frontalier' working over here from France, and they have to be paid the same salary as Swiss workers + France pays quite a lot in back tax to the Canton. The mind boggles???

Employment on 4 or even 6 month L permit is no issue at all.. But 10$ or CHF (hardly any difference) a day even though lodging might be covered.. sounds very fishy.. Almost impossible..

This is not true.

What makes you say that?

The 10 dollars a day bit.

I have indeed no proof of this. Today I had coffee with someone who did some work there- a guy I can trust- who told me that he knew this is what they are paid. Which, as you say, seems totally unreal and wrong. I can assure you I am NOT trolling.

Wouldn't you want to take action as you seem to know some good info on this, maybe report it to the immigration department responsible??

I seriously doubt anyone is making such a ridiculously low wage here in Switzerland.

Sounds like the break time rumor mill hard at work around the coffee machine..

I wish you were right - but I seriously do not think this is idle gossip.

Are you sure it is not $10 an hour???

$10 per day is even lower than what construction workers are paid in the Middle East. And that is modern day slavery.
So this rumour is definately not true..

Wouldn't the guy who told you about the 10bucks bit be in any way interested in working there himself and just getting these cheap guys out of there? Or does he hold a grudge against someone there? Why doesn't he report them on his own?

Tea time gossip or made up stuff but definitiely $10 bit is not true , its a joke.
Total monthly=$200
Six monthly= $200x6=$1200 which is about the air ticket price ( if they did not come in an enclosed vessel;P)
Add the visa cost=$100

This is not making any economical sense.

Do the maths and stop making stuff up.
If you have lost job because of Indians just accept it that you gotta find another one and stop ridiculing the community as a whole.

I'm slightly surprised by the reaction here. Odile has a good history with the EF and I for one can't see a reason why he'd make this up.

Illegal workers of this kind are reckoned to cost the Swiss economy CHF 32 billion a year according to this.

A few years ago there was a case where an employer (I think it was a wine producer but can't find the reference now) was carrying out just such a practice.

Accommodating illegals in a factory is one way to avoid coming to the attention of the authorities - this is also widespread in the UK. Such illegals are imported into the country in the back of trucks and the 6 month "visas" are likely to be invented by the "employer". They have no health coverage, employment conditions are frightening, and of course they are kept in line by the threat of deportation.

If I were the OP I would bring this to the attention of the authorities and see what happens.

Yes, I can agree that this is possible, I have heard of many similar situations around here. There are quite a number of illegal nannies who accept almost nothing in wages just to be able to stay in the country. The construction companies around here are notorious for bringing in east europeans, providing housing, board, insurance, etc. Once all these are deducted, it is indeed true that whatever wages would be due, might amount to nil after all is deducted. I had a friend who once worked for the canton investigating the black labor market, it was quite interesting stories, much more than you would ever imagine. The thing is, most of the authories intentionally turn somewhat of a blind eye to this, so long as it is not causing a major problem.