KTM bankruptcy

Why the crisis is causing many employees to despair

It often helps if someone just listens a little. (symbolic image)

(Bild: stock.adobe.com)

Christmas is just around the corner - and many KTM employees fear that they themselves will be faced with it. Susanne Lew from the company chaplaincy in the Braunau district says: "KTM has always presented itself as a winning brand. People can hardly believe that their company is now insolvent. Nobody knows yet who has to go. Some of the employees are in a real state of shock, feeling anger, horror and frustration."

The company's pastoral care service not only tries to comfort, but also to help: "Cooperation with works councils is very important to us, they are often important multipliers and can urgently need support in escalating situations."

Fear in the neck
In addition to the fear in the neck, there is the real financial emergency situation. Unemployment benefit is only 55% of the previous salary. And the worst thing is the saying: "If you want to find something, you'll find something." Lew sees hard times ahead for the Innviertel. It takes time for a region to recover from something like this, she recalls the former AMAG crisis

Nine locations
"mensch & arbeit" was founded in 1953 in the Catholic Church in Upper Austria; the first location was on the Voest site. There are currently nine locations across the country. The entire team currently consists of 36 people, eight of whom are involved in bullying counseling.