Sunrise Plans Up to 450 Job Cuts in Major Swiss Telecom Restructuring

Up to 450 Sunrise positions are now at risk, a reduction of almost 16% of the company’s current workforce. Switzerland’s second largest telecoms operator says the cuts form part of a broad restructuring of its operating model, with the company aiming to concentrate resources on customer retention, network quality and reliability.

Sunrise has not yet disclosed its future organisational structure or identified the divisions that will absorb the reductions. It says staff in shops, sales and customer service should largely be protected, and that apprentices will not be affected. The company plans to provide more detail after its review and to consult employee representatives and the Syndicom trade union in the fourth quarter of 2026.

The timing adds weight to the announcement. Sunrise already eliminated 147 jobs in a process completed during the summer. Taken together, the two rounds could affect almost 600 employees in 2026. That would make the restructuring a major event for Swiss telecom employment, even though the final number could fall below the announced maximum.

Sunrise says it wants to move faster on new products and services while tightening its focus on the parts of the business most visible to customers. The company has not said whether the plan will rely on voluntary departures, compulsory redundancies or a combination of measures.

Sunrise has recorded net losses in each of the three years since 2022, providing the financial backdrop for the restructuring. The operator says the programme should generate significant savings over the medium term, although it has not published a target amount.

The cost review extends beyond staffing. Sunrise also plans to examine supplier contracts, a move that could affect the wider network of companies providing technology, maintenance and other services to the telecoms operator. The first round of 2026 cuts is expected to lower personnel costs by about 5%, according to Chief Financial Officer Jany Fruytier, who discussed the measure with AWP in August.

An unnamed source cited by the Swiss financial news site Inside Paradeplatz said artificial intelligence could play a role in the transformation. Sunrise has not publicly set out a detailed AI workforce plan, so the extent of any automation remains unclear. The company’s public explanation centres on its operating model, cost base and ability to bring products to market more quickly.

For employees, the uncertainty is significant. Sunrise has yet to state which corporate, technical or administrative functions face the greatest exposure. The consultation process will determine how representatives can challenge, amend or negotiate the final plan under Swiss employment rules.

The latest plan follows 147 cuts already carried out this year, creating a second period of disruption for Sunrise employees within months. Syndicom has urged the company to abandon the new reductions and criticised the repeated announcements.

Dominik Fitze, a spokesperson for the union, told AWP: “If you announce massive job cuts for the second time within a few months, you put the entire workforce in a permanent state of emergency.” His comments reflect the union’s concern that employees are being asked to absorb continuing uncertainty while management completes its review.

The consultation with Syndicom and employee representatives is scheduled for the fourth quarter. Until then, the precise number of compulsory redundancies, the timetable and the affected units remain unknown. Sunrise says apprentices will be protected, and it expects shops, sales and customer service to be largely spared. That leaves open the possibility that the largest impact will fall on back office, operational or specialist functions, although the company has not confirmed this.

The dispute will test how far consultation can influence a restructuring designed to cut costs. It will also shape the public response in the Swiss telecom sector, where large employers operate critical infrastructure while competing under intense pressure on prices and investment.

Sunrise and Salt are already looking for ways to share the cost of rural network expansion. In August, the two rival operators announced plans to share selected mobile sites in rural areas. The arrangement is intended to direct investment more efficiently and lower infrastructure costs.

That cooperation adds a second layer to Sunrise’s restructuring. The company is seeking savings inside its own organisation while also reviewing how it builds and operates its network. Shared sites could reduce duplication in areas where population density makes separate infrastructure expensive, although the companies have not published a detailed estimate of the savings or the number of sites involved.

For Swiss consumers, the consequences will depend on how Sunrise converts the savings into service quality and pricing. The operator says network quality and reliability are central priorities. Any reduction in staffing that slows maintenance, customer support or product development could undermine those goals. The company says customer-facing teams will largely be spared, but the final structure will determine how much capacity remains behind them.

The partnership with Salt also shows that competition in Swiss telecoms is increasingly linked to infrastructure economics. Cooperation on selected sites can lower costs, while the two companies continue competing for mobile customers. Sunrise’s challenge will be to reduce duplication without weakening the service differentiation expected in a competitive market.

The final scale of the restructuring will determine whether Sunrise can cut costs while protecting the services it says matter most. The operator has set out broad priorities, including retention, network reliability and faster product launches, but it has not published the future management structure, savings target or division by division impact.

The consultation in the fourth quarter of 2026 will provide the next formal test. Employee representatives and Syndicom are expected to seek clarity on selection criteria, redeployment, departures and the treatment of affected specialists. Sunrise’s decision to protect apprentices offers some continuity for younger workers entering the sector, while the expected protection of shops, sales and customer service limits the immediate effect on front line roles.

The wider employment impact could extend beyond the company if supplier reviews lead to fewer contracts. Conversely, more efficient network investment and a faster product pipeline could support future competitiveness if Sunrise delivers the savings without damaging reliability. The available figures show the scale of the pressure: 147 jobs already removed, up to 450 more at risk, and a cumulative total of almost 600 positions potentially affected in one year.

Sunrise’s next disclosures will show whether this is a defined transformation with measurable goals or a prolonged sequence of workforce reductions. Swiss employees, customers and competitors will be watching the consultation and the company’s financial reporting for that evidence.