Austria: call for strike after energy negotiations failed

Two days of protest.  Temperatures are going up and therefore risks of blackouts are decreasing just in time as the Pro-GE and GPA-dip unions, in charge of collective bargaining in the energy industry, announced a national day of demonstrations for Tuesday, February 14, followed by warning strikes on the 15th in all the businesses in the sector – which employs 21,000.  This strike movement, quite a rare phenomenon in Austria, is the foreseeable consequence of the failure of the 3rd collective bargaining round organized in Vienna on Thursday, February 9.  “Employers’ offer is unfair and doesn’t take account of the sector’s good economic results.  Employees are not ready to tighten their belts for the shareholders” declared the leaders of the two trade unions, Karl Proyer (GPA-dip) and Manfred Anderle (Pro-GE).  After offering, at first, a 3.2 percent wage increase over one year along with a €400 bonus, employers increased their offer: a 3.6 percent increase for all as well as a 0.2 percent increase employers will be free to divide and, finally, a €200 bonus.  Employers say this offer is reasonable in a sector where wages are traditionally quite high.  Indeed, a workers’ average monthly salary is €3,148 and an employee’s amounts to €4,125.