According to a new analysis, the majority of retail workers are essentially going hungry. They are considered to be barely able to make ends meet with their salary.
In the midst of the stalled KV negotiations in the retail sector, a special evaluation of the working climate index by the Upper Austrian Chamber of Labor does not give the sector a good report. The income satisfaction of retail employees is significantly lower than the average for all sectors, according to Andreas Stangl, president of AK Upper Austria.
“I assume that the social partnership will work and that a deal will be concluded on Thursday. But if not, I will support the union in a labor dispute,” Stangl said at a press conference on Wednesday. The collective labor agreement negotiations in the retail sector will enter their fifth round on Thursday. If no agreement is reached again, the union wants to continue the warning strikes and protests on December 8 and 9.
Warning strikes at more than 300 retailers
Recently there were warning strikes at more than 300 retailers across Austria. The president of AK Upper Austria was outraged that workers were being pressured by some employers not to participate in the strikes. “I would advise companies not to do that. Consumers are also responsible and this will send a wave of solidarity to workers and some may decide not to shop there anymore.”
Compared to other sectors, job satisfaction in retail is lower, which is mainly due to revenues, says Stefan Friesenbichler of the opinion research institute IFES. While only six percent of respondents in retail can survive well on their income, this number is more than twice as high in other sectors: 13 percent. For 56 percent of retail workers, their income is just enough; according to the research, ten percent of their income cannot be made at all. “It’s no surprise that more workers in retail want to change jobs than in any other sector,” says Friesenbichler.
High workload
The workload in retail is comparable to that in other sectors. Time pressure, constant customer contact and pain from working while standing are experienced as particularly stressful by employees. The ‘continuous sound’ of Christmas carols would be added during the Christmas period. “When you hear ‘Last Christmas’ for the 700th time, anyone can imagine how you feel,” Stangl said. The employees deserve to be treated with respect and paid well.
Every year, 4,000 employees are surveyed for the working climate index. For the current special assessment, there were just over 720 retail workers in the sample in 2022 and the first two quarters of 2023.
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.
