Negotiations on a new collective labor agreement (KV) for rail workers are currently at a standstill. The employers have interrupted the negotiations in the fourth round, the WKÖ Association of Railways announced on Sunday evening. “We’re not getting any further and we’re talking to a wall,” explains chief negotiator Thomas Scheiber. The vida union threatened to strike even though they had been offered a salary increase of up to 12 percent.
“It is excessive and irresponsible to propose strike scenarios against the background of this offer,” Scheiber criticized. “The union has completely lost touch with reality. An increase of up to 24 percent on salaries and thus a total of more than 400 million euros is unaffordable for companies and jobs are therefore at risk,” explains the association chairman.
Trade association advises wage increase from December
The trade association recommends that its more than 65 member companies, including ÖBB and Westbahn, now reduce salaries “on a voluntary basis and taking into account future increases in health insurance, wages and salaries in advance limited to twelve months as of December 1, 2022 on such” n 200 euros per month, but in any case with 7.5 percent.”
The employers stressed their willingness to continue negotiations and hoped that vida would change its mind.
Trade union: “Must support middle incomes”
vida maintains its demand of at least 400 euros more per month. One-off payments outside the KV would not be an option. “We deliberately asked for a fixed amount this year because we have to support lower and middle incomes,” says deputy vida boss Olivia Janisch in the Ö1 “Morgenjournal” on Monday.
Source: Krone
I’m Ben Stock, a journalist and author at Today Times Live. I specialize in economic news and have been working in the news industry for over five years. My experience spans from local journalism to international business reporting. In my career I’ve had the opportunity to interview some of the world’s leading economists and financial experts, giving me an insight into global trends that is unique among journalists.
