Adam, Georg
Unions push for improved working conditions in light of extended shop opening hours
25 Marts 2007
In its joint programme of January 2007 for the legislative period 2007-2010,
the coalition government of the Social Democratic Party (Sozialdemokratische
Partei Österreichs, SPÖ [1]) and the conservative Austrian People’s Party
(Österreichische Volkspartei, ÖVP [2]) agreed on a further extension of
retail shop opening hours. On 30 January 2007, the Minister of Economics and
Labour, Martin Bartenstein, unveiled a draft legislative amendment to the
Shop Opening Hours Act (/Öffnungszeitengesetz/). This draft has been
submitted to the social partners for them to provide expert advice by the end
of March 2007.
[1] http://www.spoe.at/
[2] http://www.oevp.at/index.aspx?pageid=737
Temporary work permits issued to illegal foreign care workers
07 Marts 2007
During the summer of 2006, a heated debate arose over the longstanding
problem of increasing numbers of illegally operating foreign geriatric nurses
working in Austria’s private households. The debate was fuelled when the
then Chancellor of the Austrian People’s Party (Österreichische
Volkspartei, ÖVP [1]), Wolfgang Schüssel – who had previously attempted
to play down the geriatric nursing problem – was forced to admit that his
own mother-in-law was for some time being cared for by an illegal worker.
[1] http://www.oevp.at/index.aspx?pageid=737
Contribution to EIRO thematic feature on Youth and work - case of Austria
04 Marts 2007
Youth, the role of young people in Europe and the importance of youth
employment and qualification are high on the European agenda and at national
level.
Economically dependent workers to get full social protection
25 Februāris 2007
The new coalition government of the Social Democratic Party
(Sozialdemokratische Partei Österreichs, SPÖ [1]) and the conservative
People’s Party (Österreichische Volkspartei, ÖVP [2]), which took office
on 11 January 2007, has announced better protection measures against social
risks for self-employed people, in particular so-called ‘economically
dependent worker [3] s’. In their joint programme for the legislative
period 2007–2010, the two parties committed themselves to enacting
legislation extending unemployment insurance coverage, as well as sickness
and maternity benefits, to self-employed persons. In doing so, the government
has adopted part of a comprehensive package of social partner proposals
(Wachstum und Vollbeschäftigung (in Austrian, 304Kb PDF) [4]), drawn up by
Austria’s four major social partner organisations in December 2006.
[1] http://www.spoe.at/
[2] http://www.oevp.at/index.aspx?pageid=737
[3] www.eurofound.europa.eu/ef/observatories/eurwork/industrial-relations-dictionary/economically-dependent-worker
[4] http://www.arbeiterkammer.at/pictures/d48/Sozialpartner_Vorschlaege_Letztversion.pdf
Trade unions reject call for tax relief on childcare by women in business group
18 Februāris 2007
In autumn 2006, the organisation of women entrepreneurs, Women in Business
(Frau in der Wirtschaft [1]), in the Austrian Federal Chamber for the Economy
(Wirtschaftskammer Österreich, WKO [2]) launched an initiative to change the
tax system in Austria for self-employed parents of young children. The group
argues that many self-employed women (and to some extent men) need private
childminding services rather than childcare [3] places offered by mostly
public providers.
[1] http://portal.wko.at/wk/startseite_dst.wk?angid=1&DstID=281
[2] http://portal.wko.at/wk/startseite.wk
[3] www.eurofound.europa.eu/ef/observatories/eurwork/industrial-relations-dictionary/childcare
New government to amend childcare benefit scheme
18 Februāris 2007
In 2001, the current childcare benefit scheme (/Kinderbetreuungsgeld/) was
introduced by the previous conservative-populist coalition government in
order to offer parents of young children aged up to three years greater
freedom of choice in relation to childcare options. The scheme grants
payments to all parents with childcare obligations, regardless of their
employment situation, and this particularly favours young parents with no
record of income. This is because the childcare benefit scheme – in
contrast to the previous system of parental leave allowance (/Karenzgeld/)
– is not a social insurance benefit and is thus not related to an
employment relationship. At present, the scheme provides payments of about
€14.50 a day and for a period of up to 30 months, or up to 36 months if
both parents alternately assume childcare obligations. Moreover, in order to
promote the labour market participation of women with young children and thus
to facilitate a better work–life balance, the scheme allows beneficiaries
to earn an additional income of up to a maximum of €14,600 annually
(*AT0304201N* [1]).
[1] www.eurofound.europa.eu/ef/observatories/eurwork/articles/controversy-over-childcare-benefit
Innovation and training key to future employment strategies
24 Janvāris 2007
On 23 October 2006, the Austrian Institute of Economic Research
(Österreichisches Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung, WIFO [1]) presented a
‘white paper’ on long-term national employment strategies. The paper
entitled ‘Towards higher employment via economic growth based on innovation
and qualification’ (366Kb PDF) [2] had been commissioned by four major
Austrian social partners [3] and sponsored by the Austrian National Bank
(Österreichische Nationalbank, ÖNB [4]) and other public and private
institutions. During 2005–2006, several dozens of WIFO experts drafted this
strategy paper, which is based on 22 partial studies on growth, the labour
market and economic policy.
[1] http://www.wifo.ac.at
[2] http://publikationen.wifo.ac.at/pls/wifosite/wifosite.wifo_search.frameset?p_filename=PRESSENOTIZEN/PRIVATE31852/P_2006_10_23_4$.PDF
[3] www.eurofound.europa.eu/ef/efemiredictionary/social-partners
[4] http://www.oenb.at
New international trade union confederation founded
10 Janvāris 2007
From 1 to 3 November 2006, the new International Trade Union Confederation
(ITUC [1]) held its founding congress in Vienna in the presence of some 1,700
delegates from more than 150 countries. At the opening session on 1 November,
ITUC was officially formed after its predecessor organisations, the
International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU [2]) and the World
Confederation of Labour (WCL [3]), had officially been dissolved the previous
day. ITUC thus comprises the affiliated organisations of the former ICFTU and
WCL together with eight other national trade union organisations which have
for the first time become affiliated to a global body. The new umbrella
organisation, however, does not include the 145 member unions, representing
some 42 million workers worldwide, of the communist-oriented World Federation
of Trade Unions (WFTU [4]), which did not join the new confederation for
political reasons.
[1] http://www.ituc-csi.org/
[2] http://www.icftu.org/default.asp?Language=EN
[3] http://www.cmt-wcl.org/
[4] http://www.wftucentral.org/
Social democrats propose basic monthly social security cover
10 Janvāris 2007
Austria’s general elections, held on 1 October 2006, resulted in the
conservative People’s Party (Österreichische Volkspartei, ÖVP [1])
conceding defeat, losing its position as the largest parliamentary party by a
shortfall of eight percentage points. In its place, the opposition Social
Democratic Party (Sozialdemokratische Partei Österreichs, SPÖ [2]) regained
its position as the largest party, although it also slightly decreased its
share of the vote by 1.2 percentage points to 35.3%. Following the party’s
victory at the polls, the Chair of SPÖ, Alfred Gusenbauer, was immediately
commissioned by the country’s President, Heinz Fischer, to put together a
new and stable coalition government. Subsequently, Mr Gusenbauer initiated
negotiations with the ÖVP leadership in an attempt to set up a so-called
‘grand coalition’. However, the talks have proved difficult and have not
yet been concluded.
[1] http://www.oevp.at/
[2] http://www.spoe.at/
Social partners sign new metalworking agreement
20 Decembris 2006
During the night from 2 to 3 November 2006 – when the social partners in
the metalworking industry met for the fourth bargaining round – the Union
of Salaried Employees, Printing, Journalism and Paper (Gewerkschaft der
Privatangestellten, Druck, Journalismus, Papier, GPA-DJP [1]) and the
Metalworking, Textiles and Food-Processing Union (Gewerkschaft Metall,
Textil, Nahrung, GMTN [2]) on the employees’ side and the various branch
subunits of the Chamber of the Economy (Wirtschaftskammer Österreich, WKO
[3]) on the employers’ side signed a new collective agreement covering
about 180,000 metalworking employees.
[1] http://www.gpa-djp.at/servlet/ContentServer?pagename=GPA/Page/Index&n=GPA_0
[2] http://www.gmtn.at/
[3] http://portal.wko.at/wk/startseite.wk