KV negotiations: Industry sees little room for maneuver

In any case, the industry sees little or no room for negotiation this year, as stated by IV Secretary General Christoph Neumayer at a press conference on Tuesday. This, in turn, called the union into action. She issued one-time payments and longer terms – as required by the IV – a removal.

The Federation of Austrian Industries (IV) is not a direct player in the collective bargaining negotiations between the social partners – these are the trade union and the Chamber of Commerce. Neumayer also referred to this. However, the IV member companies are naturally directly affected by the results achieved in each case, especially in the case of the metalworkers, whose conclusion is traditionally trend-setting for the entire (autumn) wage round.

24 instead of 12 months?

Care must be taken to differentiate between sectors and see “where there is room for manoeuvre,” Neumayer demanded. He let it be known that such “in the industry” does not exist. And: “There is no environment that is particularly favourable. It takes prudence to make good decisions. There is a risk that we will ‘price’ companies out of the market if we are not prudent.” There is great cost pressure and a shortage of workers.

Once again, Neumayer brought up the idea of ​​longer degrees – 24 instead of 12 months – using the example of Germany, where this occurs again and again. In addition, the IV is for “duties and tax-free premium payments that the union has never wanted,” said Neumayer.

“Annual collective bargaining negotiations have proven their worth”

“If it were up to the IV, the savings pencil would now be applied to the income of the employees. This should succeed through longer terms for the contracts and through one-off payments,” criticized the PRO-GE and GPA unions, which lead the Metaller-KV negotiations on the employee side, in a broadcast. “We give a clear rejection of these demands.” The basis for wage and salary increases continues to be rolling inflation and a share in economic success.

“Sustainable wage and salary increases cannot be replaced by one-off payments,” said the two chief negotiators for the metal industry, Reinhold Binder (PRO-GE) and Karl Dürtscher (GPA). “Annual collective bargaining negotiations have also proven their worth. There is no reason to change the successful system.” A fundamental extension of the degrees to 24 months would “complicate fair KV negotiations”. Rather, in times of rapid change, social partners should exchange information more often instead of less often. “The trade unions will not give in to wage dumping fantasies,” said Dürtscher and Binder.