The EU commission has reprimanded Austria on several labor market issues. Austria is late in properly implementing EU regulations on “transparent and predictable working conditions” and “promoting equality in the labor market”, as the Brussels authorities announced on Wednesday. The federal government now has two months to respond to the European Commission’s letter of formal notice, otherwise another warning threatens.
Specifically, the former EU directive gives employees more predictability in terms of work orders and working hours, according to the broadcast from the EU authority. In addition, employees are entitled to “detailed” information about “essential aspects of the employment relationship, the workplace and pay”.
Letter of formal notice due to EU directive
This should primarily benefit the estimated two to three million workers in precarious employment. The EU Commission sent a letter of formal notice to a total of 19 Member States that had failed to announce that they would transpose the EU directive into national law by August 1, 2022.
Better gender equality
Austria and 18 other EU countries also failed to communicate on the implementation of the EU’s work-life compatibility directive, which the EU authority says aims to “ensure equality between men and women in employment rates”. This introduced several EU rules: paternity leave, giving fathers or the second parent the right to at least ten days of leave around the birth of the child, and parental leave of at least four months, of which at least two months are not transferable between the parents.
In addition, healthcare workers are entitled to five working days of vacation per year. Meanwhile, working parents of children up to the age of eight and all caregivers can request flexible working arrangements. The deadline for the implementation of the directive was August 2, 2022.
If Austria does not address the European Commission’s concerns, it could take legal action before the European Court of Justice.
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.
