Not in order

Amazon takes legal action against the election of the workers’ works council

The Amazon warehouse in Großebersdorf not far from Vienna

(Bild: Wienweit Medien)

Amazon has filed a lawsuit with the Korneuburg Regional Court against the election of the company's first workers' works council in Austria. Complaints from employees had been examined and it had been concluded that the election had not been conducted properly, a spokeswoman said on Wednesday. The vida trade union expressed its "astonishment at the change of opinion".

On Monday, the vida trade union announced that a workers' works council had been elected for the first time at Amazon Austria. The nine-member works council team represents the interests of almost 700 workers at the Amazon logistics locations in Vienna, Lower Austria, Carinthia and Styria. The headquarters of the new works council is located at the Amazon logistics center in Großebersdorf, Lower Austria. Jorge Plaut has been appointed Chairman.

Amazon employees in Austria have had a works council since June. The Amazon spokesperson emphasized that the company works together with this council in a spirit of trust. However, after the recent election of the workers' works council, it was concluded that the election had not been conducted properly because not all employees at all locations had had the opportunity to vote or stand for election.

For this reason, the election was contested at the Korneuburg Regional Labor and Social Court. The company will continue to cooperate with the newly elected workers' works council until the judicial review has been completed.

Union calmly faces lawsuit
The vida regional chairman for Lower Austria, Horst Pammer, expressed his "surprise at the change of opinion" of the Amazon management in Austria, with whom there had previously been a good understanding. Perhaps the Austrian management had received a correction from Germany or the USA, the trade unionist suspects. "It is a mystery to me why legal action is being taken after the objection period. This is about legal quibbles." He is relaxed about the lawsuit.

Pammer said that the union had not received any information from employees regarding the accusations that the works council election had not been conducted properly. Only the management itself had made a statement to this effect. The trade unionist believes that if a new works council were to be elected unexpectedly, this would not change anything. However, the dispute would be inconvenient "in the middle of the Christmas business" and would harm the company.