In the ORF “Press Hour” Anderl said that the SPÖ has a chairperson in Rendi-Wagner, “whom I appreciate very much” and that she “will be the top candidate”. Anderl has no understanding for the personnel discussion that is also being held within the party.
These “lateral shots damage the party,” the AK President notes, without naming the Burgenland governor, Hans Peter Doskozil. If you don’t move forward together, then things will go downhill, she said of the polls, which were stagnant for the SPÖ. The SPÖ should focus more on issues and not discuss people. Anderl was convinced that the SPÖ had the right topics, but they were overshadowed by the personnel discussions. How to stop these debates regarding people within the party, she has “no answer,” said the AK President.
Renate Anderl on the discussions regarding the party leadership:
Anderl does not believe that the fact that Alexander Wrabetz was invited by Mayor Michael Ludwig to the opera ball in his box was a signal for the former ORF general director as the future SPÖ chairman. It’s only interpreted that way by the media.
“The companies lean back”
When it comes to part-time work, Anderl holds employers accountable. “We shouldn’t pretend that women are all doing it voluntarily,” she emphasized, playing the ball to the economy. “The companies are leaning back,” says Anderl. The central question is: “Where does the part-time work happen, what do the jobs look like there.” It cannot be “that everything is always passed on to the employees”.
The considerations of Labor and Economics Minister Martin Kocher (ÖVP) to abolish preferential treatment for part-time work are “out of the question”. There are regions in Austria where women with child or nursing care have no chance to go to work – unless the man stays at home. She accused the government of always trying to find out where to start with the employees, but not with the companies.
About the high proportion of part-time work:
When it came to inflation, Anderl denied that the measures demanded by the Chamber of Labor would not achieve much. Saving one to two euros on a purchase is a lot of money for people with a low income. And why, for example, milk has become 50 percent more expensive, she cannot understand, “now someone should tell me whether we have fewer cows or less grass for the cows.”
When it comes to rents, Anderl is calling for a rent freeze, here the government should finally “get going”. “The countdown is on,” emphasized Anderl. Starting with the benchmark rents would be a first step. If there are no rent increases, this applies to everyone, including the city of Vienna as the largest landlord in the country.
Couldn’t the Chamber of Labor itself relieve the burden on employees by lowering the Chamber’s contribution? Anderl emphasized that AK has not made any excess profits and has significantly expanded its range of childcare services. The members are relieved by the increased consultation.
Anderl defended that the Chamber of Labor was demanding a reduction in working hours when there was a shortage of workers. It is also regarding creating age-appropriate jobs, so almost every second woman does not retire directly from working life. Furthermore, the job market for asylum seekers should be opened up to all sectors one year following their asylum application. What she does not want is that wage dumping should go hand in hand with immigration to the labor market.
Regarding her personal future, Anderl stated that she did not aspire to any other job in politics. She is “heart and soul” AK President. In the previous year, she announced in a “personal statement” that she would run for this position once more in 2024.
Anderl on her personal future:
