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In fact, the unemployment figures have fallen compared to the previous month, that is, by 5,000. However, 403,961 people are still looking for work. And Corona’s fall with the growing number of infections, meanwhile, gives little hope of relaxation. On Tuesday, social partners and government representatives discussed new measures against the crown crisis in the labor market. The Minister of Labor Christine Aschbacher and the Minister of Economic Affairs Margarete Schramböck (both ÖVP), the Minister of Social Affairs Rudolf Anschober (Greens), the head of the Chamber of Labor Renate Anderl, the president of the union Wolfgang Katzian and the president of the Chamber of Commerce, Harald Mahrer, participated in the meeting in the educational center of the Vienna Chamber of Labor.
“It is not only about people’s health, but also about employment,” AK President Anderl said after the meeting. He called on the government to raise sufficient funds for training and unemployment benefits. “We were able to cushion a lot with short-term work, but not all of it,” he said. At this time, 389,000 people are still working part-time; at the height of the crisis in spring it was 1.3 million. So far, short-time work has cost the state 4.7 billion euros.
Home office is negotiated
Depending on the season, the Labor Minister expects unemployment to rise again in the autumn. “Our labor market instruments case is ready,” Aschbacher said. 700 million euros will be made available in the so-called Corona Labor Foundation for qualification actions. Here the emphasis will be on the areas of digitization, renewable energy and care. There is also a greater demand for skilled workers there.
Faced with the high unemployment figures, the union reiterated its call for a general reduction in working hours. “Unemployment is the most antisocial and inhumane reduction in working hours,” said ÖGB President Katzian. His counterpart, the president of the Chamber of Commerce, Harald Mahrer, does not want to know anything about it. In the current situation, the reduction of working hours with full salary compensation is “an even greater burden” for companies.
One issue that the social partners intend to negotiate in detail on Friday is working from home. “The head office can save jobs,” AK President Anderl said. In view of the increasing number of infections, more people are likely to be retiring to the home office again in the fall. However, there is currently no uniform legal framework for this. The Chamber of Labor and the union advocate for clear, codified rules for working within their own four walls.
When asked by the Chamber of Commerce, he said: “Therefore, it is important to provide support and create the right framework conditions where companies and employees want to work from home.” However, voluntariness must be given by both parties. And more financial support is needed in terms of technical infrastructure and data protection.
Despite the demonstrative alliance, an early and codified common solution could prove difficult. Because when it comes to home office insurance, there are still many open questions. For example, if accidents should be classified as work-related or private accidents and which insurance provider applies; So either general accident insurance or regional health insurance.
KV negotiations under pressure
Corona’s unusual fall will likely affect upcoming collective bargaining in some industries as well. On Monday, employers’ representatives from the metalworking industry spoke in favor of postponing the negotiations until next year. Actually, this should start on September 24th. “From an economic point of view, the most logical thing would be to postpone the salary negotiations until next year,” said the president of the Association of the Industry of Technology of the Metal (FMTI), Christian Knill. In the industry, a 20 percent drop in sales is expected due to the crown. Knill justified the demand with “an absolute emergency situation” in which the industry finds itself.
The union, however, does not want to hear about a postponement. Rainer Wimmer, federal president of the Pro-Ge union and one of the two main negotiators, wants to focus on “keeping jobs” and “securing income.” Knill, on the other hand, says there is nothing to distribute this year.
Metal negotiations are seen as trendsetting for other industries. If there really was a change, this could also be requested elsewhere. In the retail sector, for example, employers argue that the situation of different sectors should be taken into account in wage negotiations because, for example, the textile trade was much more affected by the crisis than the food trade. When asked, the union again spoke out against a postponement, but wants to start negotiations with the aim of preserving jobs.
