Strong union will. The Austrian metalworkers’ union is gloating while Austrian employers are having a hard time “buying the agreement.” On Monday, at 6:00 pm, the sector’s social partners presented an agreement which puts great emphasis on unions’ claims. As usual, this agreement should influence negotiations in other sectors. Mr. Veit Sorger, leader of the Industrielle Vereinigung (IV), the lobby of Austrian industrialists, still presented things in a positive light: “Even though unions made irresponsible threats, we were able to sign an agreement” he said, relieved that they could avoid the first strike in the sector since 1945. Apparently, the hundreds of warning strikes which hit the sector’s businesses and the threat of an “overtime strike” were right on target (see our dispatch No. 091007). The resoluteness of the union negotiator, Mr. Rainer Wimmer, did the rest. On November 25, his union, the GTMN, will merge with the chemistry union (GdC) and Mr. Wimmer is expecting to be elected chairman of pro.ge, the new organization. Therefore, he needed a “victory.”
er of the Industrielle Vereinigung (IV), the lobby of Austrian industrialists, still presented things in a positive light: “Even though unions made irresponsible threats, we were able to sign an agreement” he said, relieved that they could avoid the first strike in the sector since 1945. Apparently, the hundreds of warning strikes which hit the sector’s businesses and the threat of an “overtime strike” were right on target (see our dispatch No. 091007). The resoluteness of the union negotiator,
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