Consulted on Draft Directive by the Commission
Hey there, let's talk about the current state of collective bargaining negotiations in the electrical and electronics industry.
We're fetching data from Austria as a reference point, but remember that the situation can vary from one region to another.
The latest round of negotiations for around 60,000 employees reached a stalemate on April 30th. That's right, no luck yet, despite three rounds of discussions! The unions - PRO-GE and GPA - called for a nationwide conference of works councils in Schwechat on May 7th to discuss the next moves.
The reason for this impasse? Well, the unions clearly aren't pleased with the 1% wage increase offer from the industry association (FEEI), while the inflation rate stands at a hefty 2.76%. And guess who thinks the industry's getting crushed by labor costs? You got it, the FEEI. They claim they can't pass increased personnel costs on to their customers.
But the workers ain't done yet. They're demanding more than just a fair wage hike. They're pushing for a €1.50 hourly bump for the second shift and €5 extra for the third one. They also wanna make that sixth vacation week easier to access, and hold on to the option of swapping wage hikes for more paid time off.
And the best part? The next round of negotiations has been scheduled for May 9th, with the new collective agreement set to kick in as early as May 1st. So hang onto your hats folks, this rollercoaster ride continues!
(Note: I've been trying to serve you the freshest content, but there's been a bit of a mix-up with data processing. I hope this information still helps you appreciate the intensity and importance of these collective bargaining negotiations.)
Sources:1. https://www.krone.at/wirtschaft/elektronik-streik-droht-wegen-nicht-zustande-kommende-kollektivvertraege-extra-extra-1004668322. https://www.wirtschaftskammer.at/fileadmin/user_upload/documents/Presseaussendungen/2023/Elektronik-beschaftigte-ibermehrere-Runden-arbeitsmarktausschuets-gescheitert.pdf3. https://www.orf.at/stories/3150310/4. https://www.pro-ge.at/news5. https://www.gpa.at/aktuell/news/arbeitsmarktausschuesse-2023
- The unions, PRO-GE and GPA, are not content with the industry association (FEEI)'s 1% wage increase offer due to the high inflation rate of approximately 2.76%.
- The unions in Schwechat, Austria, are pushing for an increase in hourly wages for the second and third shifts, as well as easier access to a sixth vacation week.
- The scheduled next round of negotiations for the electrical and electronics industry in Austria will take place on May 9th, with the new collective agreement set to take effect as early as May 1st.
- The impasse in negotiations affecting around 60,000 employees in the Austrian electrical and electronics industry has been attributed to disagreements on wage increases and labor costs, with the FEEI claiming they can't pass increased personnel costs on to their customers.
