Wage negotiations for the metal sector have been interrupted due to far apart offers. The union members are now increasing the pressure and have decided to hold company meetings. This is “a first step,” as stated in a press release.
According to the PRO-GE and GPA unions, 2,300 employee representatives unanimously decided on works meetings at the seven works council conferences held across Austria until Monday. These will be held from October 21 to November 1 in all metal industry and mining companies – unless an agreement is reached between unions and employers on October 20.
‘Fair Offer’ required by Friday
“There has never been such a high level of participation in works council conferences in the metal industry. There is a great willingness to take measures within companies,” the chief negotiators on the employee side, Reinhold Binder (PRO-GE) and Karl Dürtscher (GPA), said on Monday. They demand a “fair offer” from employers for Friday’s KV negotiations. “Movement will be necessary, because the agreed company meetings are a first step; if necessary, more can follow at any time,” Binder and Dürtscher said in a broadcast.
They made it clear that the unions wanted to maintain their demand for an 11.6 percent increase in wages and salaries to “significantly strengthen incomes.” In return, the employers had offered a tax-free wage and salary increase of 2.5 percent and a one-off benefit of 1,050 euros – which employees dismissed as a ‘mess’.
IHS boss suggests “flexible conclusion”.
The head of the Institute for Advanced Studies (IHS), Holger Bonin, recently put forward a “as flexible” commercial qualification as possible, saying some companies could afford wage increases and others could not.
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.
