Austria: positive backdrop for annual negotiations in metal sector

Autumn-time negotiations are set to commence in the Austrian metals sector on Tuesday 20 September. The talks concern some 186,000 employees across six sub-sectors, each of which will negotiate their own deal. Given the positive backdrop in the sector, it is expected for talks to take place in a less tense environment compared to previous years. First and foremost, the aim will be to make up ground following a 2016 salary agreement which was weak and compounded by rising inflation. The meetings will also look at working time models and new professional pathways for workers.
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Bosses confident. Speaking ahead of collective branch-level negotiations, Rainer Wimmer, president of Pro-Ge, the metal industry trade union, said: “One must harvest when the weather is good.” The branch-level talks have a bearing on 186,000 workers and will begin on 20 September for the ‘technical industries’ of the metals sector. The discussions do indeed come at a time of fair weather for the Austrian metals sector. The backdrop is so positive that, contrary to normal procedure, the spokespe

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