The internationalization of Austrian banks and insurance companies experienced important quickening with the EU's enlargement to the east. However, linguistic barriers and the differences in union and company cultures complicate the development of European staff representation. Facing these results, the Union of Salaried Employees and the Confederation of Austrian trade Unions (ÖGB), assisted by the international union UNI Finance, launched a project to create European works council in four heavy weights of Austrian finances. (Ref. 070809)
The GPA, which gathers Austrian employees working in the private sector, allowed themselves one year (from May 2007 to April 2008) to start the creation of four EWCs in two Austrian banks (BAWAG P.S.K and Österreichische Volksbanken AG – ÖVAG) and in two insurance companies (Vienna Insurance Group and Uniqa Insurance group).
The first experience at the Erste Bank was successful – This large-scale operation is the result of a first successful experience: the creation of an EWC at the Erste Bank, one of the most important Austrian banks, in 2005. The operation was made possible thanks to the entry of the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary in the EU.
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