Not only the metallers are currently negotiating, there are also haggling in four other sectors. There is a risk of strikes everywhere.
The metalworkers are currently negotiating in the third round to increase collective agreements in the metalworking industry. The signs are currently pointing to a storm. But the autumn is not only a hot one for metalworkers, there is also heavy haggling in other sectors. The KURIER provides an overview of where it is.
The employees of the metal industry held works meetings before the third round of negotiations, they demanded 10.6 percent more wages and salaries from the employers and see the offer of 4.1 percent of the employers as a provocation. In addition, the temporary workers and the apprentices would get nothing at all. The employer side feels that the ongoing collective bargaining negotiations have been misunderstood. Their offer of a wage increase of 4.1 percent would cover core inflation, which excludes energy costs from the inflation calculation, since the price fluctuations in this area are imported.
This affects employers and employees alike. The federal government’s anti-inflation packages would cover this part of the inflation and should be taken into account in wage negotiations, which the workers’ representatives of the GPA and PRO-GE unions oppose. The probability of strikes in this sector is currently classified as “high”.
Unsuccessful termination
The second round of collective bargaining for the 130,000 employees in the private care, health and social sectors ended Wednesday last week after around twelve hours without a result. The employers regret that no agreement has yet been reached. They improved their offer from 7.18 to 7.5 percent, at least 150 euros, the employees demand 15 percent, at least 350 euros. The demands are thus significantly higher than in trade and metalworkers, where the union demands are ten and 10.6 percent respectively.
Employers in the social sector accuse employees of having “destroyed” hopes of an agreement with their demands. 15 or 20 percent would be beyond all imaginary worlds. The union argues that health and social workers have been in continuous crisis use for three years. They needed compensation well above inflation. To increase the pressure, works meetings are to be held in the social economy from November 8th to 10th. The 3rd round of negotiations was scheduled for November 16th. The strike probability is considered “medium” here.
Challenging location
The GPA union is demanding ten percent more wages for retail workers. An inflation rate of 6.9 percent was jointly agreed as the basis for negotiations. Even before the negotiations began, employees and employers had described the initial situation as “challenging”. Even though both sides emphasized the good climate for talks, the fault lines quickly became clear.
Employees are demanding “permanent, strong salary increases”, while employers want the government’s cost-of-living aid to be included in the overall package and assume that this will offset at least 2.5 percentage points of inflation. GPA chief negotiator Helga Fichtinger rejected the employer’s request. “The employees would then pay for their salary increases themselves with their tax money.” The strike probability is considered “medium” here.
No progress
The railway industry is also currently negotiating its collective agreement for the coming year, but is making little progress. The trade union vida recently broke off the talks and announced works council meetings. She calls for a gross increase of 500 euros per month, compensation for increased productivity and the introduction of a gross minimum wage of 2,000 euros.
The employer side expressed their incomprehension about the annoyance of the employee representatives. “It is completely incomprehensible to me that our offer of a seven percent salary increase for vida is actually the basis for the termination of talks, works meetings and possible union action,” said Thomas Scheiber, chairman of the railway association. In a broadcast today, he calculated that the unions’ demands would cause the railway companies additional costs of EUR 400 million. Schreiber offers further talks for November 3rd. The likelihood of a strike among railway workers is currently “high”.
“Realistic” offer
Collective bargaining negotiations also began at Österreichische Postbus AG last week. The union’s chief negotiator, the chairman of the central works council, Robert Wurm, calls for the employees and officials 11.65 percent more salary plus a base amount of 300 euros. Wurm describes the first counter-offer from the employer side – a seven percent increase in salaries – as “unrealistic” – even “if he detects an honest interest in a rapprochement”. The strike probability is “medium” here.