Pay cuts scare off AUA pilots

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Business

Dozens of pilots have left Austrian Airlines (AUA) in the past weeks, according to the loss-making carrier’s works committee. Staff representatives said 80 pilots and 170 stewards and stewardesses decided to quit in the recent weeks due to the upcoming contract reform. AUA bosses plan to introduce a new form of contract in July. The […]

Coalition accelerates anti-corruption ambitions

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Politics

The government is intensifying its attempts to pass a transparency package in parliament. The Social Democrats (SPÖ) and their coalition partner, the conservative People’s Party (ÖVP), arranged meetings with representatives of the parliament’s three opposition factions to debate details about the planned amendment. The law is set to create stricter rules regarding the subsidisation of […]

Pecik defends TA engagement

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Business

Telekom Austria (TA) investor Ronny Pecik has declared himself a team player. The businessman – who cooperated with an Egyptian entrepreneur about increasing his stake in the firm to around 21 per cent over the past months – told radio station Ö1 today (Thurs): “I consider myself a team player. I don’t plan a fire […]

FW turnover takes off

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Business

Austria’s biggest airport has managed to increase its profit. Flughafen Wien AG (FW), which manages Vienna International Airport (VIA or VIE) announced yesterday (Weds) that it raked in 21.6 million Euros in the first three months of this year. The company said this was an increase of 9.1 per cent compared to the same period […]

BZÖ ends Stronach speculations

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Politics

The Alliance for the Future of Austria (BZÖ) has finally dismissed the circulating rumours about teaming up with a billionaire businessman. The party, which sensationally won almost 11 per cent in the national election of 2008, could drop out of parliament in next year’s ballot. Only two per cent of Austrians plan to support the […]

Post AG turnover up by six per cent

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Business

Austrian postal services company Post AG has managed to increase its turnover and earnings. The partly state-owned firm said yesterday (Weds) it achieved a turnover of 605.7 million Euros in the first quarter, six per cent more than in the same period of 2011. Earnings before interest and taxes (Ebit) climbed by 14.4 per cent […]

Strabag turnover soars thanks to EE

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Business

Two of Austria’s leading construction companies had good and bad news for shareholders in the past few days. Strabag SE, the country’s busiest building firm, said it achieved a turnover of 13.7 billion Euros in 2011. This is an improvement of 11 per cent compared to 2010. The company’s earnings before interest and taxes (Ebit) […]

UNIQA prepares capital increase

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Business

UNIQA Versicherungen AG (UNIQA) boss Andreas Brandstetter announced plans for a capital increase. Brandstetter said the move would be carried out later this year instead of only in 2013. He explained that another capital increase would be within the bounds of possibility for next year. He said the revenues from the measure would be used […]

Maier demands rail tunnel referendums

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Politics

Outgoing People’s Party (ÖVP) parliament member (MP) Ferdinand Maier has suggested to let Austrians decide about the future of the various Austrian railway tunnel projects. The Social Democrats (SPÖ) of Chancellor Werner Faymann and Vice Chancellor Michael Spindelegger’s ÖVP decided to spend more than three billion Euros on the Semmering tunnel. Only last week, the […]

Cooperating clinics ‘can save €2bn’

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Business

A study has made aware of immense savings potential in the health sector. The investigation – carried out by the Institute for Advanced Studies (IHS) – shows that Austria’s clinics could cut their costs by two billion Euros in the coming five years by cooperating more closely. IHS experts said hospitals should specialise on certain […]