Trade unions are warning of the blurred line between work and leisure time as an increasing number of workers read and answer official emails in their free time using their smartphone or PC-tablet. And say trade union bosses, not only is the out of work hours spent on work-related activity unpaid, it’s also unhealthy leading […]
Austrian Vice Chancellor Michael Spindelegger has promised that the European Union (EU) will not let Greece down. The head of the People’s Party (ÖVP) said there was no alternative to helping Greece in its current situation. The member state of the EU and the Eurozone is in a serious political crisis after the leaders of […]
The president of the Austrian Economy Chamber (WKO) has rejected accusations that companies are bullying elderly employees. Conservative Pensioners’ Union chief Andreas Khol claimed that many of the people who retired before having reached the regular pension age might have been “bullied” by their employers. Khol said he agreed with Karl Blecha, who heads the […]
Financial sector staff will get more from next month, it has been announced. Negotiators agreed about an income increase of 3.47 per cent on average yesterday (Thurs). The decision came after clerks were given the all-clear by the Federal Trade Union (ÖGB) to down tools in an attempted pressure increase. They initially called for a […]
The government wants to keep campaigning for a tax on financial transactions despite the German government’s policy shift. German Christian Democratic Union (CDU) Finance Minister Wolfgang Schäuble said earlier this week the attempts to implement such a levy in the European Union (EU) should be abandoned. Schäuble said there was a lack of support in […]
The government and pensioners’ union officials agreed to increase pensions next year. Karl Blecha, who represents the Social Democratic pensioners, and his conservative association partner Andreas Khol met Social Democratic (SPÖ) Chancellor Werner Faymann and People’s Party (ÖVP) Vice Chancellor Michael Spindelegger for talks in Vienna yesterday evening (Mon). ÖVP Finance Minister Maria Fekter and […]
Around 165,000 Austrian metal industry workers will earn 4.2 per cent more from next month. Unionists and company representatives agreed about stronger increases of low salaries and one-off payments to employees of the sector in a 14-hour discussion at the headquarters of the Federal Economy Chamber (WKO) in Vienna which ended at 4am this morning […]
Employee representatives are outraged as a cable TV and internet connection provider registered 90 workers with the Labour Market Service (AMS). Vienna-based UPC confirmed yesterday (Weds) that the staff could be dismissed. The firm argued it was in the middle of a “phase of restructuring”. UPC currently employs 1,000 staff, down from 1,100 last year. […]
Jürgen Trittin has warned of more dramatic effects than after the collapse of Lehman Brothers if Europe allows Greece to go bust. The influential German Green Party official told Austrian newspaper Die Presse today (Tues) he was certain an insolvency of the struggling Southern European country would have a more serious impact on developments on […]
An Austrian-flagged sailing boat has been seized in southern Italy when coastal guards discovered more than two dozen refugees on board. Twenty-five asylum seekers from Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iraq were found on the vessel which sailed under Austrian flag. The refugees were taken to a local centre for asylum seekers, officials in the city of […]