AK President Stangl at the General Assembly: "We must finally take effective measures against inflation"

2023-05-23 09:45:17

9th Plenary Assembly of the XVI. term of office

Linz – Continued inflation remains the biggest problem for employees. This was also evident at today’s plenary assembly of the Upper Austrian Chamber of Labor in Linz, which was attended by 110 Chamber Councillors. “We have proposed a variety of effective measures. What is the government waiting for before finally taking action?‘ asked AK President Andreas Stangl. In contrast to the government, he can point to numerous successful initiatives by the Upper Austrian Chamber of Labor, which actually brought financial relief for many AK members.

„Whether rent, interest on loans, fuel, energy or groceries, the employees deal with the consequences of inflation themselves. When it comes to support services for Upper Austrians, state politics has a lot of catching up to do“, Stangl confirmed the AK’s demands for a rent and energy price cap. In concrete terms, this would mean increasing rents without heating by a maximum of two percent only once a year, setting upper price limits for electricity and heating costs and temporarily suspending VAT on staple foods.

In contrast to the inaction of the federal and provincial governments, the AK Oberösterreich itself set initiatives last year to dampen the consequences of inflation for its members. The AK school bonus relieved the employees. More than 35,000 members took advantage of this offer. In addition, the AK Oberösterreich increased its education bonus by 15 percent to 150 euros and there is a subsidy of 100 euros for the mandatory driving safety training after passing the driving test.

The performance record of the AK legal protection shows that the competition for employees does not necessarily have to lead to better working conditions. Stangl pointed out that the number of employment law cases and the amount of damage increased again in the previous year. Overall, the AK Oberösterreich fought for 105 million euros for its members in labor and social law matters, in insolvency proceedings and in consumer protection last year. This corresponds to an increase of 18 percent compared to 2021.

Construction sites housing, care, pensions

With a view to the challenges for Upper Austrian employees, AK President Stangl once again recalled the major construction sites of federal and state politics. Affordable housing in particular is a major challenge. The new AK housing satisfaction index, which surveys the needs of AK members on the subject of housing, confirms the AK’s criticism of the housing policy of the state and federal government. Measures must be taken to create more affordable building land for social housing and to get the rising property prices and speculation under control.

Stangl was pleased about the pilot project for digital care documentation in old people’s and nursing homes, which was successfully carried out with the state of Upper Austria: “With our AK future fund and our technical expertise, we were able to make a significant contribution to improving the working situation of the employees.Therefore, the AK OÖ now also supports the mobile care services financially and professionally. However, problem areas such as a better staff ratio, the lack of roster security and the nursing apprenticeship to be rejected are still unresolved.

It is thanks to the stubborn resistance of the AK that the federal government is suspending the regulation of the staggered first pension adjustment after retirement – the so-called aliquoting – for two years. The high pension losses depending on the month of retirement will remain suspended at least for the next two years. However, a permanent abolition of this regulation and a protective clause to protect the value of the pension account credits are needed.

Stangl vehemently opposed planned cuts in social benefits for part-time employees. You have to take a close look at the reasons for part-time employment. This is due, among other things, to the lack of full-time childcare places and the costs for afternoon care.

Finally, the AK President referred to the successful negotiations between the Chamber of Labor and Energie AG and Wels Strom GmbH, which led to repayments on the electricity price. The two energy suppliers will reduce the electricity price from June 1 and July 1, 2023 respectively. “This not only brings noticeable relief, but has also avoided mass cancellations of electricity contracts‘ Stangl said with satisfaction.

You can find a photo for download here.
Caption: AK President Andreas Stangl during his speech at today’s General Assembly.
: AK OÖ / Wolfgang Spitzbart