Demo decided

KV negotiations: Civil servants call for a fight

Union representatives Eckehard Quin (GÖD) and Christian Meidlinger (Younion) are ready to fight.

(Bild: APA/TOBIAS STEINMAURER)

"Krone" interview causes a stir at the start of the collective bargaining negotiations. Demand for a zero wage round is on the table. Government has no majority for resolution in parliament.

The employee representatives enter the negotiations in a rather angry mood. Not only because a zero pay round for civil servants is being discussed. Politicians have made them wait thirteen weeks (!) before starting the collective bargaining talks. First and foremost, the National Council elections got in the way, and now there is "a civil servant minister (Werner Kogler) who is apparently not playing along", says Christian Meidlinger from the municipal employees' union to the "Krone".

Politicians and trade union outraged by the head of the RH
A major topic of discussion at the first round of negotiations was an interview in the "Krone" with Court of Audit President Margit Kraker, in which she calls for the wage increase for civil servants to be suspended. Politicians and the trade union were irritated by this. Kraker should focus on her tasks and not on politics, reacted August Wöginger, the executive chairman of the ÖVP, sharply. The Court of Audit is a supervisory body of parliament and not a political body. "The level of salary adjustments in the public sector is decided by politicians and not the Court of Audit," said Wöginger.

Eckehard Quin, Chairman of the Public Service Union (GÖD), insists that purchasing power must be secured in the long term. In the first round, the underlying economic data was initially put beyond dispute. Inflation is assumed to be 3.8 percent, while economic growth is expected to fall by 0.6 percent. From now on, things will continue in a small round.

First major civil servant demo in eleven years
Time is pressing, as resolutions must be passed in the National Council by January 1st. Another difficulty in the talks is the lack of a government majority in the National Council. A third partner would be needed to decide on the salaries of civil servants. The logical solution here would be the agreement of the SPÖ, whose negotiators also play an important role in the talks on the civil servants' side. However, the government negotiations must also be taken into account, as the NEOS are likely to put on the brakes. Whatever the outcome of the talks: Next week there will be the first major civil servant demonstration in eleven years.