Adam, Georg
Representativeness of the European social partner organisations: Sea and coastal water transport
04 Septembris 2008
This study sets out to provide the necessary information for establishing sectoral social dialogue in the sea and coastal water transport sector. First, the report identifies the relevant national organisations on both sides of industry. Se...
Telekom Austria employees oppose job reduction plans
19 Augusts 2008
Telecommunications services were, along with postal services, long organised
as a state monopoly in Austria. In 1996, this monopoly – namely, the
state-owned Austrian Postal Authorities (Österreichische Post- und
Telegraphenverwaltung, ÖPTV) – was transformed into an enterprise based on
private company law, Post und Telekom Austria AG (PTA) (*AT0203202F* [1]).
Since then, new employees have been recruited exclusively as employees under
private law; however, all of the public employees of the former authority
were transferred to PTA.
[1] www.eurofound.europa.eu/ef/observatories/eurwork/articles/undefined/industrial-relations-in-posts-and-telecommunications-examined
Smallest trade union seeks to merge with larger organisation
08 Jūlijs 2008
On 19 May 2008, the highest governing body (/Präsidium/) of Austria’s
smallest trade union, the Arts, Media, Sports and Liberal Professions Union
(Gewerkschaft Kunst, Medien, Sport, freie Berufe, KMSfB [1]), resolved to
change its strategic orientation. Instead of seeking a far-reaching
‘cooperation’ with another trade union, as decided in 2006, the trade
union now aims to merge with an ‘appropriate partner trade union’.
According to the KMSfB leadership, a reformulation of the trade union’s
strategic orientation has become inevitable in order to secure an effective
union representation on behalf of its members in the future.
[1] http://www.kmsfb.at/servlet/ContentServer?pagename=S02/Page/S02_Index&n=S02_0
Businesswomen’s group call for greater female representation
02 Jūnijs 2008
The organisation of female entrepreneurs, Women in Business (Frau in der
Wirtschaft [1]), in the Austrian Federal Economic Chamber (Wirtschaftskammer
Österreich, WKO [2]) has long criticised the tradition of women being
significantly underrepresented in WKO bodies. At present, women make up
almost a third of all WKO members, while occupying only 14% of the
representative positions in WKO bodies. In order to redress this
underrepresentation and to attach more value to women’s concerns, Women in
Business calls for doubling the share of female representatives in WKO bodies
by 2010.
[1] http://portal.wko.at/wk/startseite_fiw.wk?DstID=281
[2] http://portal.wko.at/wk/startseite.wk
Government to introduce basic social security cover in 2009
07 Maijs 2008
On 10 April 2008, after 14 months of intense negotiations, the Federal
Minister for Social Affairs and Consumer Protection, Erwin Buchinger of the
Social Democratic Party (Sozialdemokratische Partei Österreichs, SPÖ [1]),
and representatives of all nine Austrian provinces (/Länder/) agreed on a
‘needs-oriented basic cover’ scheme. The current ‘grand coalition’
government – comprising the SPÖ and the conservative Austrian People’s
Party (Österreichische Volkspartei, ÖVP [2]) – plans to introduce this
scheme on 1 July 2009. The ‘basic cover’ scheme aims to prevent
destitution among the country’s population through a range of measures.
[1] http://www.spoe.at/
[2] http://www.oevp.at/index.aspx?pageid=737&bhcp=1
More stringent rules for employers on registering working hours
07 Maijs 2008
In the summer of 2007, the Austrian parliament passed an amendment to the
1969 Working Time Act (/Arbeitszeitgesetz/, AZG) which provides for a number
of new regulations, in particular with regard to working time [1] flexibility
[2] and part-time work [3] (*AT0708019I* [4]). This amendment was drafted by
the coalition government of the Social Democratic Party (Sozialdemokratische
Partei Österreichs, SPÖ [5]) and the conservative Austrian People’s Party
(Österreichische Volkspartei, ÖVP [6]) in close cooperation with the social
partners (*AT0702029I* [7]).
[1] www.eurofound.europa.eu/ef/observatories/eurwork/industrial-relations-dictionary/working-time
[2] www.eurofound.europa.eu/ef/observatories/eurwork/industrial-relations-dictionary/flexibility
[3] www.eurofound.europa.eu/ef/observatories/eurwork/industrial-relations-dictionary/part-time-work
[4] www.eurofound.europa.eu/ef/observatories/eurwork/articles/more-flexible-working-time-rules-introduced
[5] http://www.spoe.at/
[6] http://www.oevp.at/index.aspx?pageid=737
[7] www.eurofound.europa.eu/ef/observatories/eurwork/articles/government-seeks-more-working-time-flexibility
Constitutional amendment endorses role of social partners
20 Aprīlis 2008
Following heated discussion, on 5 December 2007 the Austrian parliament
passed an amendment to the Austrian Constitution, which explicitly recognises
the central role of the social partners in the country’s system of
policymaking. In the amendment, the government makes an explicit commitment
to promote the industrial relations actors, in particular the chambers.
However, the initiative has received a mixed response – a result which can
be understood in the context of the country’s industrial relations system.
Air traffic controllers protest over excessive overtime
06 Aprīlis 2008
In the summer of 2006, employees of Austro Control [1] – the national
provider of air traffic control and air safety in Austrian airspace
(*AT0307203F* [2]) – protested against ‘excessive’ overtime [3] work
through a work-to-rule campaign (*AT0609029I* [4]). Significant delays in
flight departures at Vienna International Airport (VIA [5]) occurred as a
result. In February 2008, the conflict over air traffic controllers’
working conditions flared up once again during the 2008 collective bargaining
round. As in 2006, the air traffic controllers were refusing to work
ostensibly excessive overtime hours, which they considered would lead to
precarious working conditions. The airline most affected by the labour
shortage was the Austrian Airlines Group (AUA [6]), the main client of VIA.
According to an AUA spokesperson, the national air carrier has recorded
considerable delays in flight activities since the beginning of 2008, when
the protest action was initiated.
[1] http://www.austrocontrol.at/content/acg/austro.shtml
[2] www.eurofound.europa.eu/ef/observatories/eurwork/articles/restructuring-of-public-services-challenges-union-demarcation-lines
[3] www.eurofound.europa.eu/ef/observatories/eurwork/industrial-relations-dictionary/overtime
[4] www.eurofound.europa.eu/ef/observatories/eurwork/articles/agreement-reached-in-dispute-about-overtime-for-air-traffic-controllers
[5] http://www.viennaairport.com/jart/prj3/via/website.jart
[6] http://www.aua.com/at/deu/austrian/
Amended equal treatment act will ensure better compensation
23 Marts 2008
On 19 December 2007, the parties forming the current so-called grand
coalition government – the Social Democratic Party (Sozialdemokratische
Partei Österreichs, SPÖ [1]) and the People’s Party (Österreichische
Volkspartei, ÖVP [2]) – agreed, after difficult and intense negotiations
lasting over several weeks, on a draft amendment to the Equal Treatment for
Men and Women Act (/Gleichbehandlungsgesetz/, GBG (in German) [3])
(*AT0103209F* [4]). According to the State Secretary for Labour Affairs,
Christine Marek of the conservative Austrian People’s Party
(Österreichische Volkspartei, ÖVP [5]), the amendment will bring about
numerous improvements for victims of workplace discrimination [6] on the
grounds of their gender. This initiative is designed to introduce the
provisions of the European Council Directive 2004/113/EC [7] implementing the
principle of equal treatment between men and women in the access to and
supply of goods and services.
[1] http://www.spoe.at/
[2] http://www.oevp.at/
[3] http://www.richtervereinigung.at/bgbg.htm
[4] www.eurofound.europa.eu/ef/observatories/eurwork/articles/social-policies-undefined-industrial-relations/gender-related-pay-differentials-examined
[5] http://www.oevp.at/index.aspx?pageid=737
[6] www.eurofound.europa.eu/ef/observatories/eurwork/industrial-relations-dictionary/discrimination
[7] http://eur-lex.europa.eu/smartapi/cgi/sga_doc?smartapi!celexapi!prod!CELEXnumdoc&lg=EN&numdoc=32004L0113&model=guichett
Seven out of 10 hospitals infringe working time regulations for doctors
16 Marts 2008
In Austria, the 1997 Hospitals’ Working Time Act
(Krankenanstalten-Arbeitszeitgesetz, KA-AZG (in German, 50Kb PDF) [1])
restricts the average working week of hospital doctors to a maximum average
of 48 hours. The working week may be extended to a maximum of 60 hours in a
single week, provided that the normal working week does not exceed the 48
hours’ average over a specific reference period. In addition, the
individual working day must not exceed a maximum of 13 hours. However, the
KA-AZG also provides for the possibility of extending these working hours
through a company-level works agreement [2]. In this respect, the law
provides for working time [3] limits as follows: a maximum of 60 working
hours a week on average, with a maximum of 72 hours in a single working week;
a maximum of 32 hours during the working week and of 49 hours during weekend
work, including rest periods that have to be observed for each period of
service.
[1] http://www.bmwa.gv.at/NR/rdonlyres/731D26A6-A91E-4AFE-B13A-95F763D32653/0/KrankenanstaltenArbeitszeitgesetz.pdf
[2] www.eurofound.europa.eu/ef/efemiredictionary/works-agreement
[3] www.eurofound.europa.eu/ef/observatories/eurwork/industrial-relations-dictionary/working-time