There was great outrage after Minister of Labor Martin Kocher (ÖVP) presented his plans to reduce social benefits for part-time workers. There was sometimes talk of “family hostile and misogynistic” measures. Kocher himself feels misunderstood. He made it clear to the Council of Ministers on Wednesday that it was voluntary work on a part-time basis. “Mothers and wives are taboo.”
There was always talk of making full-time work more attractive. In order to maintain prosperity in Austria, solutions to the shortage of skilled workers would have to be found. However, the minister said he was pleased with the debate. However, this should be “fact-based and without emotions”. He is aware that part-time work mainly affects women. According to him, people who have to care for children or other family members should not be bothered by the cuts.
However, there is a trend that “more and more young people voluntarily decide to work part-time”. “There are quite a few, including men, who want to work less,” says Kocher.
“Full” support from the Chancellor
Fellow party member and Chancellor Karl Nehammer had previously stated that people with care responsibilities “are not meant for this”, this is “taboo”. But you have to provide incentives for working longer, performance has to be worthwhile, Nehammer confirmed. For example, it must pay to work overtime. He “fully supports” Kocher in addressing the issue quickly.
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.
