(18 December 2013) Public sector workers from all over Austria joined a lively demonstration in Vienna today to put pressure on the government to re-open pay negotiations.
The two main public sector unions, GÖD and GdG-KMfSB, called the demonstration after the government had failed to offer any improvement on a 1.7% pay increase. The unions had demanded a pay rise of 2.3% to compensate for inflation, taking account of the fact that there had been no general increase for the current year.
The 40000 civil servants made their presence felt in a noisy demonstration calling for "Fair pay for first-class work!" and "Less money for the banks and more for us!" And the unions stressed that they were ready to get back to the negotiating table at any time.
The GÖD and GdG-KMfSB also used the protest to underline their opposition to the current block on recruitment and to new regulations affecting teachers which had been implemented despite trade union objections.
The Austrian trade union confederation ÖGB expressed its solidarity with the action as did the vida trade union, another EPSU affiliate that organises in the private services sector including in particular health and social services.
EPSU also sends its solidarity greetings and hopes that the demonstration will kickstart negotiations and that public sector workers in Austria will secure the pay increase they deserve.
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