Austria: metalworkers want a 2-3% increase

The schedule for 2010 collective bargaining in the Austrian metal sector is set.  Unions will send their official demands to the Austrian Economic Chamber (WKO) on September 30th.  Two bargaining sessions will follow on October 14th and October 21st.  Finally, a remedial session was planned for November 5th.  PRO-GE leader Rainer Wimmer, who will run negotiations for unions with his colleague, Karl Proyer, from the private employees’ union, wants a “substantial” increase taking account of the economic revival.  “The appropriate signal to send employees after the crisis is fair increases worthy of the name” he said, objecting to employers’ criticism, who already say that the increases negotiated in Austria in 2009 were too high and cost growth and competitiveness points to the Austrian economy.  In 2009, the 165,000 metalworkers saw their wages increase by 1.45% (1.5% for sectoral minimum wage) with a 0.5% inflation.  This year, the trade unions say that inflation is 1.3% (from August 2009 to August 2010).  Therefore, they want an increase making up for inflation and allowing employees to enjoy the rewards of recovered growth.  Experts think that unions’ claims will revolved around 2-3% at least.  More than the wage issue, it is the second part of unions’ claims that should be a problem.  Indeed, PRO-GE and GPA-dip want working time cuts with no pay cuts and a limit to overtime to create jobs and improve employees’ health condition (see our dispatch No. 100604).  As for employers, they want to be able to manage overtime freely over one to two years.  In 2009 already, the issue of working time wasn’t solved and had to be put aside, still with no results to this day.