In trade, among the railroad workers and brewers, the fronts have hardened. But the door for negotiations remains open.
Business meetings are held at 300 trading locations on Thursdays and Fridays. The staff is informed about the failed KV negotiations and the union is given permission to strike by the ÖGB. “The deal must be at least over seven percent to cover inflation, and then something to live on,” explains Helga Fichtinger, chief retail negotiator. She categorically rejects one-off payments.
Warning strikes threaten on the first shopping Saturday of Advent
Rainer Trefelik, negotiator for the companies, is puzzled: “Now special solutions are needed.” He comes with an eight percent increase for 2023, as he also calculates tax-free one-off payments for the wage increase, which large companies will pass in one go this year, smaller ones monthly next year. Trefelik: “It’s about the survival of companies and securing jobs.”
Negotiations will continue next Tuesday. If no compromise is then reached, warning strikes are planned for Friday and the first shopping Saturday of Advent. That would have consequences for selected companies.
Train traffic threatens to come to a standstill on Monday
The railway workers are also flexing their muscles: the union is demanding a wage increase of 400 euros for the more than 50,000 employees and is already threatening a strike next Monday. That would paralyze the train service. Vida negotiator Gerhard Tauchner is still hoping for a new sixth round of negotiations by the weekend.
Fixed strike at the breweries
The breweries will go on strike next week: the fourth round of talks was broken off on Wednesday. The employees demand an increase of eleven percent, the employers offer 100 euros for everyone plus 300 euros once.
Public sector wages up 7.3%
There was an agreement among civil servants: salaries in the public sector will increase from January by 7.15% for high and 9.41% for low incomes. The average increase is 7.31%. The cost to the federal government is approximately one billion euros.
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.
