I would put the blame on the cheap cr@ppy switches instead of the CFL lamps. I have switches that are 20 years old, and have operated fluorescent lamps reliably with regular switching without issue. 30 2x58W magnetic ballasted LPF fixtures all switched at once, and the switch is fine, the breaker that supplied them had to be replaced because it nuisance tripped with the 15A load, but the switch is fine ( Crabtree made good units until the early 2000's, now they are getting poorer and poorer with each "new" generation) even with only being rated 15A incandescent load ( as it is a 2 way unit it is not meant for supply to a socket, although it is completely interchangeable physically).
Cheapo switches will fail after a few hundred operations, even if they are delivering no load other than cable capacitance, often breaking into pieces internally - you find this very often on stove rocker switches, about the only item you will find in a mass market retailer as a spare for stoves, they do not stock any other part other than the oven lamp ( 230V 40W golfball for Defy stoves ( gotta wonder how you are going to get the old lamp out as the aluminium base will be welded very tightly to the socket, I generally can only get them out with a pair of needle nosed pliers after twisting the bulb off)) and replacement cooker hood filters. I replace a lot of relatively new switches not for arcing ( they never get there) but more because they stick, or the toggle cracks or falls into the unit. Welding only occurs if the lamp goes short circuit and trips the breaker.