A survey shows that there is a lot of work going on in the land of the hammers. Second in the EU with an average of 42.1 hours per week. Just like in other countries, the union argues for a reduction and points to benefits.
Austria, land of zeal. This is apparent from a recent study that the trade union federation has communicated via “Krone”. Austria is thus vice-EU champion. Full-time employees work an average of 42.1 hours per week. Second in the EU behind Greece with 43.8. At the other extreme are the Danes with 38.4 hours, followed by the Lithuanians (39.9). Germany and Italy also work less – 40.5 and 40.3 respectively. The EU average is 40.7. So in the land of the hammer you hack almost one day a month longer than the rest.
Four-day weeks also offer benefits for employers
Ingrid Reischl, top official of the ÖGB: “This is another argument for our demand for short-time working.” Stress, pressure to perform and a lack of compensation would leave their marks. Mental illnesses such as burnout are on the rise. Other countries do it differently. The British are currently testing the four-day week. A study from Iceland found that cutting down to a four-day work week improves performance and productivity. In addition, there is less absenteeism due to illness and overtime does not increase. In addition, people would spend more time in sports.
Denmark, which has the least work according to the survey, is still doing well. Consistently ranks in the top 10 richest countries in the world. For Austria. Experts argue for a lower tax on labour. The Agenda Austria calculates: “If domestic workers were taxed as heavily as in the Netherlands, they would have a net 673 euros per month more.”
Ongoing discussion on carbon pricing
Talk about burden. The CO2 tax will be postponed until October. SPÖ and others generally see different priorities given inflation. They want direct payments for those affected. Economist Stephan Schulmeister sees the bigger picture: “The three-month delay is not the problem. You just have to tackle the CO2 tax. Otherwise, you leave the legal process to the oil-producing countries.”
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.
