He has already met Andreas Stangl, head of the Upper Austrian Chamber of Labour. Stefan Pierer will also have an appointment with all provincial councilors in the coming weeks. “This is how it should be when you start somewhere: you say hello. We have more than enough problems everywhere and I believe we can only solve them together,” said the KTM boss in his role as chairman of the Upper Austrian Industry Federation. . In an interview with the “Krone” he talks about personnel concerns, working hours, gas emergency plans and Mick Jagger.
„krone“: Mr Pierer, the new labor market data will be published on Friday and with it the number of tens of thousands of vacancies registered with the AMS. How do you deal with the glaring staff shortage, which is not only affecting the industry?
Stefan Pierer: Regardless of short-term geopolitical challenges such as war and gas, the problem now becomes the biggest challenge in the coming years.
Besides the Red-White-Red Card you have different approaches…
It is about how people can be motivated to perform better voluntarily. That should pay off. For example, if the first 20 hours of the month are completely tax-free for those employees who voluntarily want to work overtime. There must be more of the gross net. There is a proposal to halve the tax rate for young employees up to the age of 30.
It is said that overtime is no longer “in”. Keyword: four-day week.
We cannot solve the problems with less work: the shortage on the labor market and, above all, getting out of the crisis. The four-day working week is already possible thanks to flexible working hours, by doing my weekly working hours between Monday and Thursday and staying at home on Friday. But working four days and earning five days – that’s not going to work.
They also want to encourage people over 60 to work overtime.
We have suggestions on how it is possible to convince or motivate pensioners who have reached the official retirement age for another two, three years to stay longer by entering into a new employment relationship with the existing employer or with another. During this time, no income tax is due, only Social Security contributions should be paid. There is a good chance that in the long run there will be more than the pension. He or she stays longer as a knowledge provider for the company in question. The most important thing is that they do not turn their backs on their pensions: after all, they have a crisis of meaning.
There is no threat of a crisis of meaning: you are 65 and you are not yet thinking of quitting.
I live by the principle: rock ‘n’ roll as long as possible. My idol is Mick Jagger, he is already jumping on stage at almost 79 years old. Cheers! As long as it’s fun, I certainly don’t think about stopping.
The current energy issue is anything but funny: more expensive electricity, more expensive fuel, plus the fear of gas supplies.
Gas is the central issue for the industry in Upper Austria and it would be extremely important to involve the industry intensively in the development of a contingency plan. Industry is in demand in Germany. Something is being worked out together – I currently miss that in Austria.
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
