Misery surrounding AMS projects

Four provincial councillors are now to save Eibetex & Co.

Just over a year ago, the AMS cuts drove people and Eibetex employees in Waidhofen an der Thaya onto the streets. There is still fear there.

(Bild: René Denk)

The AMS has shifted most of the funding for projects of value to the labor market and society to the metropolitan areas. The companies, which are now being made anything but easy, are struggling to survive. But now there seems to be new hope on the horizon.

A small ray of hope for the Eibetex project, which, along with six other social enterprises in Lower Austria, is hanging by a thread due to a severe cut in funding from the AMS. In future, they want to use the model of a "real laboratory" to tap not only into labor market funds, but also social funding pots in order to survive. This is because the high social character is obvious.

In order to "unravel the current situation and discuss the content of the project concepts as well as other necessary discussion partners", state councillor Christiane Teschl-Hofmeister and state deputy Stephan Pernkopf have agreed to meet with the state government on 26 November.

Theologian Karl Immervoll, who has launched around a dozen social projects, took the initiative as an advocate for the struggling businesses. "We were sent from one to another, no one felt responsible. This project doesn't just fit into a drawer and time is pressing," says Immervoll, placing great hope in this appointment.

"Knocked on the door" of three provincial councillors and the provincial vice-chancellor
In addition to Teschl-Hofmeister and Pernkopf (both ÖVP), he has also knocked on the door of state councillors Susanne Rosenkranz (FPÖ) and Ulrike Königsberger-Ludwig (SPÖ), who are responsible for the labor market and social administration. So far, however, these efforts have not been crowned with success.

"Round table" at Eibetex - that's what expert Karl Immervoll (center) would like to have with the four - to a greater or lesser extent - state councillors and AMS Lower Austria boss Sandra Kern.

(Bild: Imre Antal)

(Bild: Imre Antal)

(Bild: Imre Antal)

Put off until after the election
As a representative of the poverty network, Immervoll had an appointment with Rosenkranz last week. However, the staff at Eibetex had only been put off until after the election and new appointments had been made. The AMS project is being funded proportionately, but otherwise the office is giving the cold shoulder: "It is not the job of funding bodies to propose or develop projects."

Königsberger-Ludwig held talks
Königsberger-Ludwig, on the other hand, is enthusiastic about the project. As the person only responsible for social administration, she does not see any responsibility for the content or any budget from her area that could be used to co-finance the project. Due to a lack of competence, she also sees it as "difficult or even impossible" to convene a round table.

I see projects like these as extremely valuable assistance for long-term unemployed people, to give them prospects on the job market again and to give them back self-worth and a sense of purpose.

Landesrätin Ulrike Königsberger-Ludwig

Bild: P. Huber

In principle, Königsberger-Ludwig sees projects such as these as "extremely valuable assistance for the long-term unemployed in order to give them prospects on the job market again and to give them back self-worth and a sense of purpose". This is why she held talks on this matter with the provincial councillor Rosenkranz and AMS Lower Austria boss Sandra Kern. "I asked them to look into new, practicable ways of doing this."