The latest initiative of Labor Minister Martin Kocher (ÖVP) in the fight against unemployment caused a lot of excitement. At an event at the Vienna University of Economics and Business, when asked about career opportunities for elderly people with disabilities, he said they “have a harder time”, which is also due to the collective agreements that make older people more expensive. “That’s the biggest stumbling block for me.” These statements drove not only the trade union, but also the opposition parties to the barricades.
“A minister of labor can be expected to understand the use of collective agreements. For new hires, only a certain number of previous years of service are taken into account, regardless of whether an employee is 35 or 55 years old. The minister should rather do his homework internally than tell us unions how to conduct wage policy,” said Barbara Teiber, president of the GPA union, on Thursday.
Furthermore, the employee representative said in a broadcast: “Minister of Labor Kocher should not cheaply sweep himself away with collective agreements that he apparently does not understand. Blaming high incomes for the unemployment of older disabled people is cynical. It should finally take off and increase labor market opportunities for people with disabilities and older workers.”
Criticism from the opposition: “Completely alien”
Teiber received support from colleague Ingrid Reischl, chief secretary of the ÖGB. “Anyone who describes collective agreements as a ‘stumbling block’ in the fight against unemployment has not understood the application and importance of collective agreements,” she said.
SPÖ boss Pamela Rendi-Wagner found the wishes of the ÖVP minister “totally alien”. This shows “what could happen if wage policy is not made by the unions”. FPÖ spokesperson for the disabled Christian Ragger also criticized Kocher: “To claim that a collective agreement, which is actually a great achievement for workers in the country, ‘is an obstacle to finding a job for the elderly with disabilities’ , is an absolute absurdity and shows what kind of brains the ÖVP politicians actually are.”
Support of the State Secretary for Youth Affairs
Support for Kocher came from fellow party member and youth secretary Claudia Plakolm. “At the beginning of working life, higher salaries are needed, which then rise less steeply. This is an important boost for young people as they are about to make the big investments of a lifetime with their first home and family,” she said.
Source: Krone
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
