Sunrise plans to cut up to 600 jobs, citing AI-driven restructuring

Sunrise is preparing a second round of job reductions, potentially removing about 600 full-time positions after a February layoff of 147 staff. The cuts would primarily target the Opfikon headquarters, where roughly 1,750 employees work, with a focus on IT projects, marketing and controlling functions; retail and call-center roles are excluded. Sunrise describes the action as a comprehensive redesign of its operating model, emphasizing the use of artificial intelligence and automated processes to improve productivity.

Union Syndicom has sharply criticized the proposal and called for measures to preserve jobs, while some employees suspect the layoffs are tied to CEO André Krause’s bonus structure. Experts note that AI-driven efficiencies are increasingly prompting telecom firms to trim staff, and Sunrise joins a small list of Swiss companies citing AI as a justification for redundancies.