In the round of collective labor agreements in the metalworking industry that opened on Monday, employees demand a wage increase of 10.6 percent. Given the full order books and good forecasts, there is no reason to implement wage cuts, emphasized the two chief negotiators on the employee side, Rainer Wimmer (PRO-GE) and Karl Dürtscher (GPA).
“Now it’s also about strengthening people’s purchasing power. The unions will not let real wages fall. 10.6 percent more is therefore a correct requirement,” said GPA boss Dürtscher. “You don’t need a wand here,” he said. The unions calculated that production had increased by five billion euros last year compared to the pre-Corona year 2019, and the first half of the year was even better than the same period last year.
Ask about sixth week of vacation
The union is also demanding a new allowance for Saturday work, an increase in the overtime allowance for the 10th working hour and easier access to the sixth week of vacation. Hardly anyone stays with the same employer for more than 25 years. “The majority of workers change jobs more often and after a few years – voluntarily or forcibly. The sixth holiday week is therefore unreachable for most”, say Dürtscher and Wimmer in unison.
Students should earn significantly more
Given the persistent shortage of skilled workers, an above-average increase in apprenticeship wages is also being demanded. In the metal industry, these should rise to 1000 euros (1st grade), 1300 euros (2nd year), 1600 euros (3rd year) and 2000 euros (4th grade). In addition, to make apprenticeships with a high school diploma more attractive, class hours should be counted as working hours, according to the union’s requirement.
As always, haggling takes place in the Austrian Chamber of Commerce in Vienna. In addition to the metal processing industry with its approximately 130,000 employees, the collective labor agreements of the other branches of the metal processing industry are also being negotiated. They affect about 70,000 employees. In the past, the degrees here were the same as with the metallers. The situation is similar to wages and salaries in the metal industry, which will be negotiated in a few weeks.
Last year, the metal industry closed with a wage increase of 3 to 3.55 percent. The gross minimum wage rose to 2,089.87 euros. The new collective labor agreement will take effect on November 1, 2022.
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
