Unlike the metal companies, the trade has only had one fruitless round of negotiations (see video above). Nevertheless, the company meetings started this Thursday and are scheduled until November 8. The union is demanding an eleven percent wage increase, more vacation days and a discussion about a general reduction in working hours.
However, the employer side has not yet submitted an offer. As expected, representatives of the Chamber of Commerce have so far pointed out the difficult economic situation. The inflation rate of 9.2 percent (value between October 2022 and September 2023) may not have to be the basis for the negotiations. ‘Creative solutions’ would be needed to conclude the collective labor agreement.
No strike character yet
The union is demanding an eleven percent pay increase, more vacation and a discussion about a general reduction in working hours. The company meetings, which will mainly take place next Monday and Tuesday, do not yet have the character of a strike. The employees should only be informed before the next round of negotiations on November 9.
Approximately 430,000 people work in retail in Austria. Two-thirds of them are women, and in retail this share is slightly higher. The majority of women (60 percent) work part-time, while the part-time quota for men in retail is only about 13 percent.
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.
