Austria
The GPA-DJP trade union has launched a campaign to win better pay and conditions for workers in doctors' surgeries. The union is calling for a €1,100 minimum monthly salary for the workers who currently have a starting salary of around €800 for a 40-hour week. The union points out that receptionists in doctors' surgeries have a demanding job, having to combine administrative, social and medical skills.
Read more at > GPD-DJP (DE)
The GPA-djp services union has negotiated a new collective agreement covering 6000 employees of doctors in Lower Austria. The agreement establishes a minimum wage of €1300 which the union sees as an important step forward for a sector dominated by women workers. GPA-djp members took part in protest action over the summer and an online petition and media releases kept up the pressure on the employers. Read more at > GPA-djp (DE)
The GPA-djp is campaigning for employees of doctors' (GP) practices in Lower Austria to get a minimum wage of €1300 a month. Regional collective agreements cover the 40000 employees of GP practices across the country, but the agreement in Lower Austria is the only one with a minimum wage below €1300 - currently €1091. The union is also working with the ÖGB confederation to gradually negotiate minimum wages of at least €1500 across all their collective agreements. The GPA-djp believes that achieving this will be an important contribution to closing the gender pay gap. [Read more at > GPA-djp
The 2009 pay rise for civil servants will be 6.6% rather than 5% according to a Czech news report on a recent parliamentary vote. The minister for labour proposed the higher increase in response to current economic conditions and a large majority of MPs supported the proposal, although the finance minister was among the small minority voting against. However, the overall budget still has to be approved by President Vaclav Klaus. Read more at > Czech news site (EN)
