After a day of protests in Vienna in autumn, the employees of public kindergartens are now taking to the streets in several federal states on March 21. Under the motto “Now there’s a stir 2.0” proclaimed by the Younion union, demonstrations are to be held for more staff and money, the community kindergartens are running in emergency mode because of the legal obligation to operate. The Viennese private kindergartens are demonstrating on March 29, here the houses are closed.
On October 14, around 1,000 employees of public elementary educational institutions loudly demanded better conditions for their work in front of the Ministry of Education on Vienna’s Minoritenplatz – at that time under Department Head Heinz Fassmann (ÖVP) – with drums and gossip fans. Next Monday between 8.30 a.m. and 10.30 a.m. the current Minister of Education Martin Polaschek (ÖVP) will be reminded of the demand for a federal framework law, more money and staff. Currently, the kindergartens are of course the responsibility of the federal states, so the minimum quality standards are different in each state.
In Lower Austria The protest action begins on Monday at 9 a.m. at Riemerplatz in St. Pölten, in Salzburg at 3 p.m. at the PSV – Sportplatz Salzburg, in Upper Austria at 4 p.m. in front of the state service center, in Vorarlberg at 4 p.m. in front of the Landhaus in Bregenz, in Tyrol at 6 p.m. at Innsbrucker Landhausplatz and in Carinthia at 6 p.m. in front of the ÖGB in Klagenfurt. In Burgenland and Styria, only press conferences have been announced for the time being. Incidentally, only union members are legally protected when participating in a demo during working hours in public kindergartens, so according to Younion, non-members can only protest in their free time.
“It is enough!” in Vienna
In the federal capital, on March 29th, the employees of the private kindergartens, after-school care centers and school recreational pedagogics will start their activities under the motto “Enough!” their company meetings in public spaces from autumn. At that time, around 5,000 people followed the demo call. This time, too, the start will be in Vienna’s Votivpark (10:00 a.m.), from where a demo train to Heldenplatz is planned.
In both cases, fewer children per group, a better care ratio and a uniform federal framework law for the same structural conditions in all federal states are required. The Younion catalog of demands also includes relief from “paperwork”, more training places in elementary education and the recognition of Covid-19 as an occupational disease. The Viennese private kindergartens would also like legal requirements for a uniform training of assistants in Vienna and sufficient preparation, follow-up time and paid reflection time.
According to Statistics Austria, around 63,000 people work in Austria’s crèches, kindergartens and after-school care centers, 57 percent of them in public institutions. In Vienna alone, the workforce accounts for almost 17,000 people, 30 percent of whom work in private institutions.
Source: Nachrichten
