Austria: unions abandon the dogma of the 35 hour work week

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gress (June 30 – July 2, 2009), the Confederation of Austrian Unions (ÖGB) wants to commit in favor of new working time reduction systems which don’t automatically imply wage compensation. The 35 hour work week was abandoned to the advantage of the “solidarity system”, “partial unemployment” or “free time slots.” The ÖGB also wants a tax system encouraging work. (Ref. 090669)

The economic crisis got the better of a union claim of more than ten years, i.e. reducing the work week to 35 hours with

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