Government is inactive – New union leader: ‘New elections would be good’

“crown”:Has the turbulence in the SPÖ been overcome?
Joseph Muchitsch: Managed to get out of a storm into calm waters within a few days. Many would not have believed that we were capable of this. Andi Babler managed to put together a staff package in a few days with little sleep and many calls, which is a good compromise.

Did you expect Babler to create dynamics?
We all knew he can inspire. The situation was bad for both candidates. Hans Peter Doskozil was the first, then came the thrust reversal. But hats off to both of them for how they behaved. And now it’s moving forward. The claim to number 1 should now be even more valid. We have already learned: the public that spat on each other only harms us in the population. Subjects must and will be handled internally from now on.

Can’t lure the ÖVP with a 32-hour work week or wealth tax?
If you know the practice, you can not stop it. There are collective agreements with 37, 38.5 hours. This has already been agreed with employers. In the IT sector, for example, there is already a 30-hour working week through company agreements. We have carpentry workshops that cut down to 35 hours. Ultimately, the legislator will follow suit. The SPÖ will insist on this during the coalition negotiations.

However, 32 hours is not possible everywhere. About health…
You have to create preconditions here. People are so burned out that they are leaving the industry. You have to be attractive here. More salary and more staff. Do more for caring family members. The healthcare allowance brings in three euros per day from healthcare level 4. That is ridiculous. In addition, nursing professions fall under the heavy labor regulation. The government does not do that, apparently these jobs are not important enough for them.

We have made numerous requests for advice, support and benefits. If the SPÖ proposes something, it does not apply to the governing parties. Without the SPÖ, there would be no care allowance, no care leave and the care fund in this country.

The ÖVP accuses the SPÖ of blocking climate laws…
We have tabled 31 motions on inflation. All rejected. The minimum would be a rent brake. Next rent increases are imminent. And then going over there and throwing us a piece of paper that says ‘take it or leave it’ and associated with end consumer charges then that’s not a policy you can do with us. We are still available for reasonable discussions.

Is there a need for price intervention?
Naturally. Nothing gets cheaper! As social partners, it hurts that the government has not intervened to combat inflation. This will again be a major challenge for wage negotiations. We are European champions with the highest inflation. This is fueled because the government does not intervene. Even experts not close to us are calling for interventions such as rent checks. The government only gives one-off payments that dwindle. The government could say that we miscalculated, but we are correcting that now, but that takes courage. As a political adviser, I would advise them to do so.

Are we already in the middle of the election campaign?
The government has failed on important points. You should not. Spring elections would be good. You get nothing more. Neither with inflation, child poverty, nor anywhere else. At the anchor, a roll costs 3.47 euros. For children there is two euros per day. That wouldn’t work for us. And then the weakening of the health system. Workers’ social security system has been stolen. The healthcare system has been privatized bit by bit. The longer one waits to restructure Austria, the more difficult it becomes.

Minimum wage topic: Doskozil wants to enshrine it in law…
Where public employers are willing to pay the 2000 euros net, everything is fine. Everywhere else is the issue of the social partners. If I depend only on the legislature, then there will be little or no increase. Experience shows that. Whatever government that is, people should not depend on it. There is no better medicine for social peace than social partnership.

Coalitions: traffic light or red-black?
If black was black again, but they’re still rowing around in the turquoise shade when you consider what’s happened since 2017. Where Kurz dismantled the ÖVP chairman with fake opinion polls and then targeted the welfare state, a lot of debris broke here. To achieve this, a completely new ÖVP is needed.

And the SPÖ?
We must become so strong that a coalition with the SPÖ is unavoidable. We must also stop allowing ourselves to be cheated in negotiations. We can’t just drop our pants like we used to. You can never write off the SPÖ. 2006 with BAWAG was the worst time, when we fell apart internally. Look, four months later we won the election. If social democracy is on the ground, we can soon be back on our feet. This requires the synergies between the SPÖ and the Red Union.

As an FSG boss, you are the most powerful individual trade unionist. How do you set up your office?
It is certainly a major challenge in the field of communication. We want more red unionists. Externally, I will speak loud and clear to achieve our goals.

Many say why a type of trade unionist like you or Wolfgang Katzian should not lead the SPÖ. They speak plain language and are certainly there for the “little people”…
Everyone has to decide that for themselves. In any case, I am a trade unionist with heart and soul. And this next step is a big one in my career. I’ve been with the union for 40 years. I started as an apprentice mason.

Besides, I’m still bricklaying. family help. I recently paved the yard at home. I can keep up with the boys for a while. Craft is the most beautiful profession. Something remains visible. The pay is also better now. If you start in the masonry trade, you will have a minimum starting wage of 2450 euros and 6 weeks holiday after 20 years of work. No government can do that. Only the social partnership can do that.