FCG parliamentary group rages

A turmoil over seats on the Chamber of Labor board

Thick air in the halls of the Chamber of Labor in Linz.

(Bild: Markus Wenzel)

After the Chamber of Labor elections, there is now a real fuss about the seats on the AK board: the dominant Social Democratic trade unionists want to co-opt the Green Chamber Councillor Martin Gsöttner, whose parliamentary group regularly did not achieve a mandate, onto the board. The black employee representatives (ÖAAB/FSG) are up in arms because - contrary to previous practice - they and the blue party no longer receive any additional mandates. 

It's complicated: After the Chamber of Labor elections in March of this year, the result was as follows: the red FSG now has 75 seats in the AK General Assembly (previously 79), the second strongest force is the blue party with 16 mandates (plus 5), the ÖAAB-FCG faction lost three seats and now has twelve. 

The Green Group (AUGE/UG) remains unchanged and now has four seats, the PFG has two representatives on the committee and the Trade Union Left Bloc is represented by one person. So far, so good. 

It's all about the distribution of board members in the AK
Why the mood in the halls of the AK is now clouded has to do with the number of board members: Everything remains the same for the Reds with eleven seats, the Blues have gained one seat and now have two. The losers of the AK election, however, are the Blacks.

Chamber of Labor President Andreas Stangl (FSG)

(Bild: Harald Dostal)

Black parliamentary group demands secret ballot
The ÖAAB-FCG group now only has one seat on the board in the person of Cornelia Pöttinger. And it is precisely she who is now voicing criticism and calling for a secret ballot at the constituent meeting of the AK General Assembly on Tuesday. 

Cornelia Pöttinger, top candidate of Team ÖAAB-FCG in the AK elections in Upper Austria. She calls for a secret ballot.

(Bild: ÖAAB/HERMANN WAKOLBINGER)

Greens on the AK board despite poor result
The FSG donates a board to the Green trade unionists, so to speak, and co-opts Martin Gstöttner onto the board. The Reds themselves co-opted the ÖGB regional secretary and the youth committee chairman onto the board. Previously, the ÖAAB members had three co-opted members (two regular ones) and the Blue members had two (one regular one), but this practice no longer exists under AK President Andreas Stangl. The big losers are the black trade unionists, as they are now only represented by one person.

The matter is not quite over yet; after all, the proposal has to be decided on Tuesday. According to reports, however, everything will go as planned, as the red faction in the Chamber of Labor has the majority - even in the secret ballot demanded by Pöttinger.