Despite the energy cost subsidy, the high costs of electricity and gas for restaurateurs in Austria are no longer manageable. We are now waiting for the second wave of the energy cost subsidy. “A lot of payments are now due, the new contracts with the energy suppliers are coming,” says Gastro division chairman Mario Pulker in a conversation with Jana Pasching. Energy prices will at least double. “That is no longer possible in business accounting.” On the other hand, you cannot raise prices to cover costs. “We are very concerned about whether we are starting the year well.” If nothing changes, this year is expected to see the industry’s highest ever wave of closures.
An inn in the village is sometimes no longer profitable to run. Invoices would show that the companies sometimes only have 500 to 900 euros. “It is understandable that young people do not want to work for it.” Many communities would become dormitories where social events no longer take place. If this continues, there will soon be no more inns in cities. “It’s not until the innkeeper closes that the community often sees what they’ve lost.”
Despite the high number of employees, the lack of employees in the industry is also a problem. Leisure has become more important for people nowadays. You can also see this in the forms of employment in the hospitality industry. Part-time is booming, many no longer want to work full-time. “Corona has also brought this along. There is a rethinking in society.” The baby boomers are retiring, the number of young people entering the world of work is significantly lower in comparison. “Overall, this is a huge bat hitting the industry here.”
Many companies are already adjusting their menus or opening hours to manage the situation. “It is a change in society. We have moved from an employer market to an employee market, where you have to deal intensively with every employee.” Anyone who thinks they can find an employee for a six-day working week, according to the collective labor agreement, will be short: “No one will report that.”
You can see the entire conversation with the head of the gastro division, Mario Pulker, in the video above.
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Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
