After four failed negotiations, there is now talk of a strike in the retail sector. Until Saturday, 300 stores across Austria will be closed for hours to increase pressure in the KV negotiations. Strong nerves are needed because, according to the union, there are already massive attempts at intimidation against employees.
It started in the early hours of Thursday. In Salzburg, for example, the association showed its colors at Interspar and Metro, and in Vienna in shops in the Donauzentrum. “All sectors are on strike,” explains trade unionist Helga Fichtinger. The trigger is the broken wage negotiations: the companies offer a one-off bonus of six percent and 1,000 euros, the union wants 9.4 percent and a fixed 15 euros more per month.
Union: There are even threats of dismissal
The union does not want to publish a list of the companies that are striking – on the one hand because of the surprise effect, and on the other hand because employers would try to intimidate employees and ask them not to participate in the strike, according to Fichtinger. in the Ö1 “Morgenjournal” of the ORF. Promised corporate loyalty bonuses and existing social benefits would be called into question again.
“We are currently confronted with cries for help from workers who tell us by email and telephone that they are currently being massively intimidated and even threatened with dismissal if they participate in strike action,” said the GPA’s chief negotiator.
Chief employer negotiator criticizes general mistrust
Employer chief negotiator Rainer Trefelik said of the harassment allegation: “If there is misconduct, say clearly that there is a problem here. But simply creating a general distrust according to the method leaves something lingering, which must be rejected outright.”
For Trefelik, the union’s position is incomprehensible. Insisting on a sustainable wage increase without a one-off payment could spell the end for many companies. The employees wouldn’t have any of that either.
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.
