The Metallers are preparing for a hot autumn: on September 22nd, the wage negotiations will start, which are also considered to be directional to other industries. On Tuesday, employer representative Christian Knill, chairman of the metal -technical industry association, commented on the condition of the industry and warned a restraint during wage negotiations. Knill could not elicit a target value, but said that “significantly below inflation” had to be completed. According to the quick estimate of the statistics Austria, this was 4.1 percent in August.
Knill commented in detail about the state of the industry: the third year in a row in the recession, the production value had dropped by 1.3 percent in the first quarter in the previous year. “We assume that it will be up to six percent in the year”. Wages in Austria have risen by 28.1 percent since 2020 and thus increased significantly more than in Germany and Italy. The demand is still cautious, the wage costs due to the high inflation, “this goes hand in hand with a loss of competitiveness”. 133,000 people were employed in the industry, in 2023 there were still 140,000, including reducing the temporary workers, we reduced 10,000 employees “. The initial situation is difficult, which is also aware of the union, with which there is a regular exchange. A common solution is possible. There are 1100 metal companies in Austria.
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Image: APA/Robert Jaeger
Source: Nachrichten
