Gächter, August

The threat of a strike in the Austrian Post Office remains alive. Although a settlement in disputes over staffing (AT9805183F [1]) had been announced in May 1998 (AT9805190N [2]), the conflict erupted again in June. [1] www.eurofound.europa.eu/ef/observatories/eurwork/articles/undefined-working-conditions/protests-spread-across-austrian-public-services [2] www.eurofound.europa.eu/ef/observatories/eurwork/articles/settlements-concluded-in-post-office-and-courts

The Works Constitution Act (Arbeitsverfassungsgesetz, ArbVG) is a key piece of industrial relations legislation. It regulates collective agreements, minimum wages, rights and duties of employees and works councils, as well as sanctions. Originally enacted in 1974, it has since undergone 27 sets of amendments. In April 1998, the Austrian Trade Union Federation (Österreichischer Gewerkschaftsbund, ÖGB) presented a list of 25 demands for a further set of changes in 1998. These include:

Several of the disputes which have recently broken out in Austria's public services (AT9805183F [1]) were resolved in May 1998. [1] www.eurofound.europa.eu/ef/observatories/eurwork/articles/undefined-working-conditions/protests-spread-across-austrian-public-services

From 17 June 1998, doctors will mount a series of protests in line with a decision taken on 13 May. These will take the form of public declarations and protest meetings during which services in hospitals will be limited to the level normally available on Sundays. Private practices will also be partly closed, though officially for further training. Three main complaints are at issue, relating to chemists' shops, dentistry and working hours in hospitals.

The long-announced founding of a new trade union outside the Austrian Trade Union Federation (Österreichischer Gewerkschaftsbund, ÖGB) has now occurred (AT9802166N [1]). On 1 May 1998, in a small town outside Vienna, the Austrian Free Trade Union (Freie Gewerkschaft Österreichs, FGÖ) was officially founded and a 34-year-old police officer was elected as its chair. The union's main promoter over the past two years chose not to stand for election but to retain instead his seat in Parliament. The new union is closely related to the right-wing populism of the Austrian Freedom Party (Freiheitliche Partei Österreichs, FPÖ) whose main politicians spoke at the founding ceremonies. [1] www.eurofound.europa.eu/ef/observatories/eurwork/articles/new-trade-union-clears-first-hurdle

In the first half of May 1998, collective agreements for wage earners (Arbeiter) in hotels and restaurants were concluded in three provinces and for salary earners (Angestellte) on a national basis. Negotiations for wage earners in tourism are being conducted on a province-by-province basis because, for the second year in succession, national talks failed (AT9802167N [1]). [1] www.eurofound.europa.eu/ef/observatories/eurwork/articles/stalemate-in-negotiations-in-tourism-sector

The Austrian Chamber of the Economy (Wirtschaftskammer Österreich, WKÖ) is engaged in an ongoing reform process with the stated goal of reducing its cost to members. Compulsory membership fees amounted to a total of almost ATS 6,600 million in 1997, ATS 920 million less than in 1994. There are three different kinds of fee: one that is to be paid by all members; one as a percentage of turnover if turnover exceeds ATS 2 million per year; and one as a percentage of the paybill. A reduction in fees by another ATS 450 million is projected over the next three to five years. Various percentages are earmarked for the provincial Chambers, the federal Chamber and the foreign trade organisation.

On 15 April 1998, the Government released the text of its bill revising the law on the Chambers of Labour (Arbeiterkammer, AK). The main points, out of 49 originally drafted by the Ministry of Labour, Health and Social Affairs (Bundesministerium für Arbeit, Gesundheit und Soziales, BMAGS), are as follows:

In early March 1998, the Austrian Constitutional Court (Verfassungsgerichtshof, VfGH) declared existing regulations on unemployment benefits unconstitutional. At issue were the rights of third-country nationals who are obliged to contribute to compulsory unemployment insurance but whose entitlement to benefit is curtailed (AT9703104F [1]). Benefit entitlement for Austrian citizens or other citizens of the European Economic Area (EEA) is of unlimited duration if they remain available for employment and are in need of financial support. However, entitlement of non-EEA third-country nationals used to expire after a period of between 20 and 104 weeks depending on the duration of previous employment, and age and permit status unless they were refugees granted indefinite leave to stay. Parliament had amended the law on 11 June 1997, removing this discrimination on grounds of nationality but, at the behest of the Austrian People's Party (Österreichische Volkspartei, ÖVP), the minority partner in the coalition Government, it set the date for the introduction of the new regulations at 1 January 2000 (AT9706121N [2]). [1] www.eurofound.europa.eu/ef/observatories/eurwork/articles/undefined-law-and-regulation-labour-market-social-policies/the-legal-position-of-foreign-nationals [2] www.eurofound.europa.eu/ef/observatories/eurwork/articles/action-taken-on-nationality-based-discrimination

At their fifth negotiating meeting on 21 April 1998, the social partners in the construction industry succeeded in concluding an agreement on the wages of 130,000 blue-collar workers in the sector (AT9804177F [1]). Basic rates will rise by 2% from 1 May 1998, whilst actual wages will move up in line with this increase. [1] www.eurofound.europa.eu/ef/observatories/eurwork/articles/working-conditions-undefined-industrial-relations/difficult-negotiations-in-construction-industry