Now the cat is out of the pocket of the employer representatives: the negotiation team of the Metal Technical Industry Association presented a wage increase of 4.1 percent as a proposal on Monday. The employees are known to demand 10.6 percent more and speak of a “provocation”. The union is now increasing the pressure in the collective labor agreement negotiations. Work meetings take place across the metal industry between 19 and 21 June.
“Given the very successful past years and the current economic growth, the offer is a provocation. The union negotiating team rejects the offer as completely inadequate. The works councils will therefore inform the staff at the company meetings this week and take precautionary decisions for industrial action,” said the two chief negotiators on the workers’ side, Rainer Wimmer (PRO-GE) and Karl Dürtscher (GPA) afterwards. the six-hour consultations on Mondays.
The unions expect a significantly improved offer from the FMTI in the next round on October 24 “to ensure serious and speedy negotiations”. This is the only way to avoid imminent industrial action. In any case, a deterioration in working hours or the adoption of government measures for the unions is out of the question, it was said after the second round of negotiations.
Employers point to government anti-inflation measures
Employers’ chief negotiator Christian Knill said after the aborted round of talks: “It is disappointing that the unions are not interested in objective solutions. But especially this year there is a need for solidarity between the state, companies and employees. We are all moving in the same direction and have a common importance: preserving jobs and prosperity in Austria.”
These are unique in the history of the Second Republic and should therefore be reflected in the overall situation. If you take the proposed wage and salary increase of 4.1 percent (“core inflation compensation”) and add in the cost of living, which covers between 50 and 100 percent of the additional costs for employees and their families, then That’s a 100 percent living cost and for many people, significantly more, Knill said. The chief negotiator also raised the possibility of employee profit sharing.
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.
