Difficult negotiations in health and social services
25 January 2012
The vida and GPA-DJP trade unions face challenging negotiations with private and non-profit employers in health and social services. In the main private health agreement, BAGS, covering around 90,000 workers, the employers have offered between 2.95% and 3.05% when inflation is at 3.2%. There was also a disappointing offer, ranging from 1.89% to 2.5% from the private hospital employers where the agreement covers some 15,000 workers. Finally, in the non-profit sector the Caritas organisation, employing over 12,000 workers, has also made an offer that is below the rate of inflation. The unions are mobilising members and organising works council meetings in the lead up to the next round of negotiations.
More on BAGS at > vida (DE)
And more on BAGS at > GPA-DJP (DE)
Read more on private hospitals at > vida (DE)
Read more on Caritas at > GPA-DJP (DE)
And at > vida (DE)
Unions reject latest employer offer
25 January 2012
Unions have broken off negotiations in the energy sector following unsatisfactory pay offers from the employers. The employers had wanted to follow developments in the public sector which would have involved a pay increase of 2.65% plus €11.10 a month. A revised offer from the employers was hardly any different and would have meant pay increases of between 2.9% and 3.25% at a time when inflation is at 3.3%.
Read more at > GPA-DJP (DE )
First round of bargaining produces inadequate offer from employers
21 December 2011
The vida and GPA-DJP trade unions have been involved in the first round of bargaining of the private health and social services agreement that covers 90,000 workers. A starting point is the rate of inflation in the year to October (3.04%) and although the unions found the negotiations constructive they were disappointed that the employers’ initial offer was well below this level. The next round of bargaining will be on 12 January.
Read more at > vida (DE)
New agreement will mean a 3.26% increase for the lowest paid
9 December 2011
After very difficult negotiations the GÖD and GDG-KMSfB trade unions have agreed on a pay increase for the public sector in 2012. There will be a 2.68% increase plus a flat rate amount of €11.1 which means a 3.26% increase for the lowest paid. Other allowances and additional payments will rise by 2.95%. According to Eurostat the latest figure for inflation in Austria is 3.8% (provisional figure). However, the GDG-KMSfB organized a 4,000-strong demonstration in Linz on 5 December in protest at the proposal by the regional government of Upper Austria to pay 1% less than the nationally agreed increase. The GPA-DJP and vida unions also joined the protest as the lower pay increase would affect staff in private childcare and other outsourced services.
Read more at > GDG-KMSfB (DE)
And at > GÖD (DE)
And on the Linz protest at > GDG-KMSfB
Private health and social care negotiations start
9 December 2011
The unions representing 90,000 workers in the private health and social care sector (vida and GPA-DJP) have called for a real increase in pay for employees in the sector. They point out that there is an urgent need for pay in the sector to catch up with pay in the rest of the economy. Currently average pay in health social care is 17% below the national average. Unions also want to see improvements in compensation for parental leave and account taken of experience in other occupations – two changes that would help improve pay for a sector dominated by women workers and so contribute to closing the gender pay gap.
Read more at > vida (DE)
No response to unions’ 4.65% pay claim
11 November 2011
Public sector unions GÖD and GDG-KMSFB have submitted a 4.65% pay claim for 2012. The amount is based on compensation for inflation (2.95%) plus a half of the overall rate of economic growth (3.45%). The unions say they are determined to secure an increase in purchasing power for all public sector workers.
Read more at > GDG-KMSFB (DE)
Key agreement provides 5.3% increase for lowest paid
21 October 2011
Unions in the metal, mining, gas and heating sectors have negotiated a new collective agreement that provides an average pay increase of 4.2%. However, with a minimum guaranteed increase of €80 a month, this means that those on the lowest pay rates will get an increase of 5.3%. The agreement runs for 12 months from 1 November 2011.
Read more at > GPA-DJP (DE)
Unions campaign over social care funding and women’s pay
7 October 2011
The vida and GPA-DJP services trade unions are working together in a campaign to ensure better funding for social care and improved pay and conditions for workers in the sector, the vast majority of whom are women. They are concerned to act now to defend and improve pay and conditions in order to prevent the increasing demand for social care leading to pressure both to keep wages low and to increase workloads and working time for staff.
Read more at > vida (DE)
First step in annual pay negotiations
7 October 2011
The GÖD trade union has contacted the public service ministry to ensure that the annual negotiations over pay get underway so that increases to salaries can be implemented as usual from 1 January 2012. The union is looking at least to maintain the value of earnings and allowances and has reminded the ministry that the starting point is an assessment of official statistics on developments in inflation and economic growth in the period from October 2010 to September 2011.
Read more at > GÖD (DE)
Unions support idea of special bargaining round to reduce gender pay gap
14 September 2011
The GPA-DJP and VIDA trade unions have expressed support for the idea of having a special round of collective bargaining to address the persistently large gender pay gap in Austria. Figures from 2009 show that female salaried workers had annual gross earnings of €17639, 40% less than the €29181 average for male salaried staff. The GPA-DJP says that special negotiations could take place perhaps three times over a 10-year period, where employers and trade unions discuss detailed pay figures for their sector and come up with concrete measures to reduce pay inequality between men and women.
Read more at > GPA-DJP (DE)
And at > VIDA (DE)
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