The second round of collective labor agreement negotiations on trade ended without results on Tuesday. However, both parties came closer together. The employees are now demanding a salary increase of 4.3 percent (instead of the previous 4.8), the counter offer is 3.1 percent (previously 2.8).
The basis for the negotiations is a rolling inflation rate of 3.8 percent. For commercial employees, it is not only about higher pay, but also more free time after a number of years of service and other improvements. “The employer offer of 3.1 percent without any concessions in the framework is simply too low and very disappointing,” said the chief negotiator of the GPA union, Veronika Arnost.
Employer: “Represent the situation”
“A collective agreement for the sector must reflect the economic situation of the sector. “I would like to see more insight from the union about what works and what doesn’t in times like these,” says Rainer Trefelik of the Austrian Chamber of Commerce.
The negotiations will enter the next round on November 14. Last year the process was difficult and took time. There were employee protests until after Christmas.
Collective bargaining negotiations are currently underway for the approximately 55,000 employees in the rail sector. Here, the Vida trade union is demanding a salary increase of 4.5 percent. The metalheads have already completed the autumn salary round. A two-year contract with an increase of 4.8 percent was concluded for this sector last year. There are exceptions for companies with high personnel costs and economic problems.
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.
