On 08 June, the major trade union members of The Austrian Trade Union Federation (the ÖGB) announced they were in the process of informing their members of the right-wing coalition government’s (ÖVP conservatives and FPÖ extreme–right) reform plans, which they see as stemming directly from employers’ demands. As such the unions are preparing a series of actions protesting the announced reforms, especially the law on flexible working time and the health insurance system reform, both of which are due to be submitted before the summer recess.
Opposition to an employer-led program. For Austria’s trade unions, the coalition’s reforms announcement was the straw that broke the camel’s back. In recent weeks Chancellor Sebastian Kurz together with his Vice-Chancellor Hans-Christian Strache had announced their intention to present two key pieces of draft legislation by the end of June/beginning of July. The first addresses making working time more flexible and the second overhauls the health insurance system. Although the reforms’ finer de
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