For one million employees, the collective labor agreement negotiations this week are about higher salaries. The first strikes among the metal workers are already imminent.
For the approximately 200,000 workers in the metalworking industry, the second round of negotiations ended Monday after several hours in anger. Demanding a 10.6 percent pay rise (up from 3.55 percent last year), trade unionist Rainer Wimmer set the bar very high, while employer boss Christian Knill offered 4.1 percent. That was a provocation, says Wimmer. From October 19 to 21, factory meetings will now take place all over Austria and the ÖGB will receive approval for strikes. Negotiations will continue on October 24.
employees for one-off payments
However, the fault lines are still large: the companies earned well for the union last year, now it is the employees’ turn. The companies could not handle this, their negotiators objected. Knill’s arguments are: The economy is collapsing, energy costs are a burden, and if wages are too high, there is a risk of business failure in the coming year. In addition, the government’s anti-inflation support would already cover some of the high cost of living for workers. The union rejected compromises such as compensation for inflation (on a 6.3 percent basis) plus a one-off payment. This is not sustainable as it would not affect social security entitlements such as unemployment benefits etc.
It is not that far for the 430,000 employees in retail, who are being negotiated today, Tuesday. The health and social professions (130,000 employees) will follow on Wednesday and federal officials (225,000 people) will follow on Thursday. At the AUA there are working meetings on this day.
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.
