There are currently talks between the social partners, said the trade union federation and the Chamber of Commerce on Tuesday at the APA. The Ministry of Health was quite open to such steps: the aim is to increase the vaccination rate, “it is therefore good that the social partners want to agree on a solution”.
Ministry of Health open
“Relieving the intensive care units as much as possible is the most important task of pandemic management. That is why the vaccination rate must be increased and therefore unvaccinated people must be protected so that too many people do not become infected at the same time,” said the Ministry of Health in response to an APA request. “Any suggestion that will help is to be welcomed.” Such a measure has “no effect” on the implementation of the further step-by-step plan.
Union Confederation for 3G Evidence
“We are positive about this project,” said an ÖGB spokeswoman. It is about 3G proof at work in general, not just in offices, she specified.
The Chamber of Commerce referred to similar, already existing measures outside of Austria: “There are international models where 3G or similar regulations are used in the workplace. At the expert level, the practicality and benefits of such models are evaluated with the involvement of the social partners”, said it.
The Federation of Industrialists (IV) is not one of the social partners, but IV-Vienna has also spoken out in the debate and sees the Italian regulation as a model for Austria. In Italy, the announcement of the 3G rule in the workplace alone caused vaccination rates to skyrocket. In Austria, the 3G rule should apply to work in the public as well as in the private sector, demanded IV Vienna President Christian Pochtler in a broadcast. Furthermore, a nationwide antibody study should be carried out in order to ascertain the status of vaccination progress and immunization.
For the time being, there was no response to an APA request from the Ministry of Labor. According to the “Austria” report, the government is currently examining who is responsible for the legal framework – Labor Minister Martin Kocher (ÖVP) or Health Minister Wolfgang Mückstein (Greens).
SPÖ leader Pamela Rendi-Wagner pleaded on Tuesday – as in the past – for the introduction of such a regulation. “What is true at the pub should also apply to the workplace,” she said at a press conference. This brings more protection and security to employees and more clarity for employers.
In Italy – as the first European country – the so-called green passport is made compulsory for all employees in the public and private sector. From October 15th you should only be vaccinated, recovered or tested at work. The decision was taken at a Council of Ministers meeting last Thursday.
