Joining OCST: benefits for cross-border workers in Ticino

Context

TL;DR

• Advice on employment, payslips, taxation and rental
• Cross-border commuters' office for taxation and social security
• INAS patronage office in Chiasso, Mendrisio, Bioggio and Locarno
• Discounts and services for female and male OCST members

Key facts

• Social matters → AVS, AI, LADI and LPP
• Cross-border workers' office → cross-border tax law and social security
• INAS offices → Chiasso, Mendrisio, Bioggio and Locarno
• ACLI office → Lugano
• CISL → free membership
• Regulations → benefits provided according to specific regulations

AVS, AI, LADI and LPP are among the areas indicated by OCST for legal assistance and/or advice. The same list includes employment, payslips, illness and accidents, family allowances, taxation and tenancy.

For cross-border workers, the most specific element is the Cross-border workers' office. The OCST page describes it as the point of contact for advice and information on cross-border tax law and social security. The same area also includes occupational pensions, social insurance, work permits, family allowances and unemployment benefits.

The text therefore keeps general legal assistance and advice distinct from the office dedicated to cross-border workers, while including both in the same membership offer. For cross-border workers, the areas indicated remain clear as follows: work and payslips on the one hand; taxation, social security, pensions and permits on the other.

The Cross-border workers' office and the protections indicated

Alongside advice, there is support for the expenses members must face for emergency hospitalization due to illness, subsidies in the event of strike action and contributions for training. The offer also includes free membership of CISL. Benefits are provided according to specific regulations: this is the framework indicated for access to the services.

Patronati and information

For cross-border workers who need to navigate procedures and benefits, OCST points to the INAS Patronato offices in Chiasso, Mendrisio, Bioggio and Locarno. The ACLI Patronato is located in Lugano; both are affiliated with the trade union.

The membership offer includes regular information meetings, the newspaper «il Lavoro», the OCST website and the Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn channels. The payslip remains one of the areas explicitly indicated: for a numerical check, simulatore busta paga can be used alongside it.

Operational details

Discounts, insurance and services

For cross-border commuters, the savings described by OCST also come through a series of separate offers. It is not a single benefit: the sector, duration, code to use and, in some cases, the possibility of combining discounts vary. The page also draws attention to residence abroad and to specific conditions for accounts and insurance.

From policy to account

On the insurance side, a 10% reduction is indicated for private liability, household contents, building insurance and motor vehicle insurance, together with a free pension analysis with personalized advice. A 10% discount on selected supplementary insurance policies and a 9% discount on certain complementary insurance policies are also reported. For these offers, the indicated procedure is to mention the possibility to one's insurer.

For banking services, the list includes 5 years free of package fees, for a current account, savings account, debit card and e-banking. There is also 1 free year on the Mastercard silver, including insurance, and another offer with 1 free year on package fees. The absence of a fee linked to residence abroad is also indicated. To access the benefits, the account must be opened 100% online using the OCST promotional code available from the OCST contact person. The topic can also be explored in the guide to conti bancari per frontalieri.

| Area | Benefit indicated | | Insurance | 10% reduction on the listed coverage | | Vehicles | 10% on labor, replacement vehicle included, in Switzerland | | Mobility | 250 Fr voucher on the deductible and 20% on the 'Prendi e vai' subscription, not combinable | | Travel | 15€ on flights, 20€ on hotels, 40€ on flight+hotel and 4% on gift cards | | Admission | 15% until December 23, 20% on Tuesdays, for members and three companions |

The conditions therefore change in concrete terms: the 10% on labor is linked to the replacement vehicle, the voucher concerns the contractual deductible for work covered by the insurance, and the 20% on the subscription cannot be combined. The admission offer also has a stated expiry date, while travel and gift cards have separate amounts and percentages.

For leisure, the page reports an all-inclusive subscription at 727.80 Fr., including the lifetime membership fee, and access to gyms in Italy at 317.8 €. The comparison between these conditions and one's own income items can be supplemented by calcolatore fiscale.

Useful planning tools

To estimate your pension strategy, use the pension planner and the pillar 3 simulator.

Useful planning tools

To estimate your pension strategy, use the pension planner and the pillar 3 simulator.

Key points

How to use the offers

For cross-border workers, moving from the OCST list to a concrete benefit depends on the channel indicated for each offer. The procedure can be organized without adding documents not mentioned: depending on the case, it starts with the form, the OCST contact person, the insurer, or the membership card.

Four operational steps

1. For offers that require a form, request the form through the application form. The page repeats this indication for special offers; the form is therefore the access point to proposals that require a dedicated request.

2. For the bank account, obtain the OCST promotional code from your OCST contact person and open the account 100% online through the CA e OCST - Corporate partner offer. The listed conditions also include no fee related to residence abroad.

3. For insurance, notify your insurer of the possibility, as indicated next to the insurance offers.

4. For the listed businesses, present the OCST card. The rule is stated for Brico SA, Ristorante Elvezia 31 di Lugano, Old Wild West di Mendrisio, Pizzarella-Burgerella and Pescheria Lawrence di Giubiasco. For Masa Coffee, however, the discount code 'OCST' is indicated on the website.

Checks before use

The local conditions are explicit: Brico SA and Ristorante Elvezia 31 offer 10%; Masa Coffee applies 20%; Old Wild West grants 15% on the total bill, not combinable with other promotions; Pizzarella-Burgerella indicates 10% on site, excluding home delivery, and a complimentary drink per order for home deliveries; Pescheria Lawrence offers 10%.

For culture, at MUSEC in Lugano, the ticket for OCST members costs 10 CHF instead of 15 CHF, with an additional 20% on selected bookshop items. The reduced ticket is also valid for ancillary events. If patronage is needed, the indicated network includes INAS in Chiasso, Mendrisio, Bioggio and Locarno and ACLI in Lugano; both have an agreement with OCST.

Before using each offer, the specific regulations governing the benefit remain the reference. For those who want to check the effect of salary items on the tax calculation, the final step is to use the calcolatore fiscale dello stipendio.

Source: ocst.ch