Gender pay gap, Pay settlements, Europe, Austria

The vida services union has negotiated a new collective agreement with religious hospitals that has been approved by 92% of union members. The finalisation of the agreement was also pending confirmation of funding from the City of Vienna. Salaries increase by 8.3% with a 7.9% increase on allowances. The night work allowance for doctors increases to €20.00 an hour (18.8%) and the Sunday allowance to €14.00 an hour (20.9%). For non-medical staff the increase in the night and Sunday allowance takes it to €53.00 (21.5%) for more than four hours, otherwise to €6.63 an hour (21%). Workers get a

The vida and GPA private services unions have negotiated a new collective agreement covering the 7,000 employees in the regional associations of the Austrian Red Cross. All employees in the framework collective agreement will get a 9.15% increase while all employees in the new collective agreement section B and in the province of Vienna will get 9.2%. The increases are backdated to 1 January 2024. The collective agreement ensures that important provisions that previously differed from one province to another have now been successfully harmonised across the country, with a normal working week

The vida and GPA trade unions representing workers in non-profit care and other services have negotiated a new collective agreement with the Caritas group of religious organisations. The agreement applies to 41 organisations employing 17,700 workers, delivering a range of services such as disability care, education, support for the homeless and those in poverty. The increase took effect on 1 January with a 7.7% applied to salaries plus a 1.5% monthly allowance. All other bonuses and allowances increase by 9.2%. The unions believe this is another important step in delivering decent pay and

Following negotiations between the younion trade union and the City of Vienna and the Vienna Health Association (VHA), €150 million has been made available for better pay, better working conditions, more leisure time and measures to combat labour shortages. The 9.15% pay rise in January follows the public-sector wide negotiations but in addition there will be extra payments for night work and for working on Sundays and public holidays. Night shift workers are set to get two hours credit per shift that can be taken as time off or extra pay if not used within six months. There are extra payments

Following a third round of bargaining the younion and GÖD trade unions are pleased to have negotiated pay rises of between 9.71% and 9.15% for public sector workers with a minimum increase of €192. Pay additions and allowances will also rise by 9.15%. This is the highest increase for many years and the unions believe that along with the compensation for the recent surge in inflation, there is also recognition by employers that action is needed to tackle the staff shortages affecting most public services. There is also an acknowledgement of the extra efforts made by workers as they shoulder the

After six months of negotiations, workers in church-run elderly care and nursing homes will get an 8% pay increase, along with a cost-of-living bonus of €1500 and a one-hour reduction in weekly working hours to 39 hours. The agreement covers around 3600 employees and the new monthly minimum wage will be set at €1850.76. The 8% increase translates into a 10.65% increase once the one-hour cut is taken into account. The vida trade union negotiated the agreement which it sees as bringing the church-based employer more in line with other collective agreements in the sector although it argues that

Research by the European Trade Union Institute (ETUI) shows that delays in implementing the EU’s newly passed pay transparency directive would cost women workers an average of €17,000 in lost wages. The final text of the directive was adopted by the European Parliament on 30 March. The directive includes a ban on pay secrecy clauses and the right for women workers and their unions to request transparent information on pay. The ETUC is calling on national governments to put the directive into action straight away rather than wait to the final deadline of 2026 to to transpose the directive into

On 20 March, following warning strikes around the country in February, the vida trade union managed to negotiate a collective agreement for private hospitals with a 10.56% wage increase and €2000 minimum monthly wage. The increase takes effect on 1 July along with a cut in working time to 39 hours per week. The minimum increase for full-time employment is €180 and part-time employees will see pay increase by 9.56% and allowances by 7.53%. Employees will also get a €1600 net payment in four instalments by 30 June. Pay for apprentices will increase from 1 July to €815 in the first, €925 in the

The vida trade union organised a warning strike in 25 facilities across the country in support of its demands for higher pay for the 10,000 workers employed in the private hospital sector. The union is demanding a pay rise above inflation and a monthly minimum salary of €2000 and argues strongly that it is crucial to improve the pay and conditions for workers to make the sector more attractive and tackle staff shortages and overwork. Meanwhile, the GPA trade union has negotiated a new collective agreement in the electricity sector which delivers pay rises of 8.6%-9.6% along with increases in

Member of the vida private services union working at the network of religious hospitals have voted by a two-thirds majority to accept a new pay deal. Increases will range from 8.4% to 11.2% (for the lower paid) with a minimum increase on monthly salaries of €205. The union has welcomed the agreement that begins to recognise the work done by health staff during the pandemic and helps address the rising cost of living. Vida also underlined the importance of the high level of member participation in campaigning and industrial action that contributed to securing a better pay offer from the

The USF trade union reports that staff in European institutions, bodies and agencies (with the exception of the European Central Bank) will get a net 4.5% increase in salaries, pensions, and social allowances backdated to 1 July 2022. This is on top of the 2.4% increase applied earlier this year, giving a total net increase of 7%. This is the result of a formula that has been applied since the early 1980s, following industrial action by USF both then and later to defend the formula. The salaries (and later also pensions) of staff have kept pace with the development in the purchasing power of

The ETUC has welcomed the compromise between the European Commission, Council and Parliament on the pay transparency directive that should help to deliver equal pay. The ETUC highlights the key elements include a ban on pay secrecy clauses and the right for women workers and their unions to request transparent information on pay; gender-neutral job evaluation schemes, designed with the involvement of trade unions; and trade unions’ rights to collectively bargain to tackle pay discrimination and the undervaluation of work done by women. The ETUC believes that the measures will help to ensure

The younion and GÖD public sector unions have negotiated a 7.15% pay rise from 1 January next year with a 7.32% increase on allowances. However, the minimum guaranteed increase of €170 a month wiil mean that the lowest paid workers will see pay rise by 9.41%. Meanwhile, the vida and GPA private services unions have concluded a new collective agreement covering 130,000 employees in the private health, social and care sector. The two unions welcomed the 8% wage increase from 1 January 2023 along with the guaranteed minimum rise of €175 a month that means an increase of 10.2% for the lowest paid

Staff in European institutions, bodies and agencies will get a net 2.4 % increase in salaries, pensions, and social allowances backdated to 1 January 2022. This is the result of a formula that has been applied since the early 1980s, when EPSU affiliate, Union Syndicale Fédérale carried out successful industrial action, also defending the gains later through further industrial action. The salaries (and later also pensions) of staff have kept pace with the development in the purchasing power of civil servants working in the national governments of the Member States. This increase reflects the

On 5 April the European Parliament (EP) voted in favour of a report on the gender pay transparency directive that includes important improvements to the European Commission’s draft proposal. There will be provisions on the protection of trade union rights for women workers, ensuring they can bargain collectively for equal pay; measures to deliver on the principle of equal pay for work of equal value and a ban on pay secrecy clauses. The ETUC thanked the rapporteurs for their work and called for the swift adoption of the improved directive by the Commission and Council. ETUC Deputy General