Austria’s annual collective bargaining round that affects approximately 186,000 workers across size sub-sectors is set to start on Thursday 20 September with trade unions Pro-GE (Industry) and GPA-djp (Private sector workers) restating their demands to the employers’ representatives, the Austrian Machine Tool Federation (FMMI). The trade unions’ efforts this year will be focusing particularly on their desire to alter fresh legislation that came into force on 01 September, which allows companies to more easily extend working time. On Tuesday 18 September, and in a landmark move, the Austrian Trade Union Federation (ÖGB) invited almost 900 WC heads and trade union negotiators from all economic sectors to a meeting aimed at guaranteeing a united negotiations front.
The 12-hour law – for unions this is a red rag to a bull. “If no one tells us anything, or pays attention to our opinion, yet at the same time we are being told we can’t exit the social partnership route then there is a real problem,” ÖGB president Wolfgang Katzian declared on Tuesday 18 September when speaking to almost 900 WC presidents and union negotiators that attended the meeting from the four corners of Austria and represent all sectors in the economy. It was no coincidence that this fir
…Do you have information to share with us?