Pay back donation?

ÖVP should pay out Pierer donation to KTM employees

The insolvency of KTM becomes a political issue: Alois Stöger lashes out at the ÖVP.

(Bild: Krone KREATIV/Manfred Fesl, Roland Schlager/APA/picturedesk.com)

KTM was no longer able to pay out the November salaries and the majority of the Christmas bonus, and the motorcycle manufacturer, which had slipped into insolvency, also failed to pay the promised advance on the December salary. This has now brought former Federal Minister Alois Stöger onto the scene. The SPÖ politician is calling on the ÖVP to repay an earlier donation from KTM boss Stefan Pierer to the employees.

Stefan Pierer had transferred just over 436,000 euros to the ÖVP for Team Kurz in 2017 - the donation also later earned the KTM owner an appointment to the "Ibiza" committee of inquiry.

Seven years after the flow of money, the SPÖ is now making this very donation an issue in the wake of the motorcycle manufacturer's insolvency. "It is unacceptable that employees have to worry about their wages and Christmas bonuses during the Christmas period while the ÖVP keeps Pierer's money," says Alois Stöger. The former minister, currently managing chairman of the SPÖ Upper Austria, is calling on the ÖVP to transfer the party donations received to the injured KTM employees quickly and for a specific purpose.

He addresses Upper Austria's Governor Thomas Stelzer (ÖVP) and Federal Chancellor Karl Nehammer: "People expect answers and action, not silence, when it comes to KTM. Pay back the Pierer donation quickly." Incidentally, the slightly more than 436,000 euros would mean around 120 euros per employee.

A Christian-social party should have shown responsibility here long ago.

Alois Stöger fordert die Rückzahlung der Pierer-Spende zweckgebunden an die Mitarbeiter

Insolvency compensation fund will only pay out in the course of January
The insolvency compensation fund will pay the outstanding November salary and the majority of the Christmas bonus that remained unpaid. However, it will probably take until the end of January for the money to flow. The fact that KTM broke its promise to transfer advances on the December salary, but now wants to stick to the usual payment dates, puts the more than 3600 employees in dire straits.

At the beginning of this week, Andreas Stangl, President of the Upper Austrian Chamber of Labor, harshly criticized Stefan Pierer. He should help the employees financially out of his own pocket, Stangl demanded.