Bundesrat has no objection to easier access for Ukrainians to the Austrian labor market

Parliamentary Enquete on May 10th will be dedicated to the topic of care

Vienna (PK) – The Bundesrat has no objection to displaced Ukrainians who fled their homeland from the Russian war of aggression being given easier access to the Austrian labor market. A corresponding amendment to the Foreigners Employment Act passed the state chamber of the National Council this evening with a majority of votes. This means that planned adaptations to the red-white-red card are finally on track. The SPÖ and FPÖ were critical of the National Council’s legislative decision, warning of wage and social dumping.

The Federal Council also passed amendments to the Public Accountant Profession Act and the Corporate Energy Cost Subsidy Act without objection. Among other things, this involves an automated processing of the flat-rate subsidy model, which is intended to cushion increases in energy costs for smaller companies. In addition, digital professional examinations by chartered accountants should continue to be possible. A report by Labor and Economics Minister Martin Kocher on EU projects in his area of responsibility was acknowledged by a majority.

The FPÖ used the debate on the corporate energy cost subsidy law to call for an infrastructure offensive for Austria. Instead of paying out billions with little accuracy and potential for overfunding, the budget funds should be used for broadband expansion, road construction and public transport, she demanded. However, a motion for a resolution submitted by Lower Austrian Federal Councilor Michael Bernard did not find a majority.

The federal councilors unanimously decided to hold a parliamentary inquiry on the topic “Challenges of the future: thinking about care for tomorrow and healthy aging”. It will take place on May 10th.

Statements by Social Affairs Minister Johannes Rauch, the Burgenland Governor Hans-Peter Doskozil, currently Chairman of the Governors’ Conference, and the Provincial Councilors Leonhard Schneemann (Burgenland) and Susanne Rosenkranz (Lower Austria) are planned. In addition, representatives of the Red Cross and the Arbeiter-Samariter-Bund as well as various experts from the care sector should provide impetus for the discussion. Ernst Minar from John Harris Fitness will speak on “Healthy Years into Old Age”. The subject of the other three panels are: “Political challenges in nursing”, the “Future of nursing from an NGO perspective” and “Tomorrow’s nursing: Challenges up to 2050 from today’s perspective”. The opening and closing words will be given by Federal Council President Günter Kovacs, who will also chair the Enquete together with the two Vice-Presidents of the Federal Council, Harald Himmer and Doris Hahn.

Amendment to the Foreigners Employment Act

The amendment to the Foreigners Employment Act, which was passed by the National Council at the suggestion of the governing parties, is justified, among other things, by the fact that the integration of those expelled Ukrainians who are striving to remain permanently in the Austrian labor market should be accelerated. At the same time, access to the Red-White-Red Card is made easier in two areas. On the one hand, in future regular seasonal workers will only have to prove German language skills in A1 – instead of A2 as before – in order to gain access to the Red-White-Red Card. On the other hand, good language skills in French, Spanish and Bosnian-Croatian-Serbian (BKS) are also taken into account in the catalog of points for key workers, skilled workers in shortage occupations and start-up founders.

On the part of the SPÖ, the Viennese Federal Councilor Sascha Obrecht judged the law to be a “giant botch” for which he had “zero understanding”. The intention of the law – the removal of hurdles for Ukrainians – is “super”, said Obrecht, but in fact no hurdles are removed, but protective mechanisms such as the preliminary examination of wages and working conditions. With regard to the red-white-red card, the Federal Council noted that instead of relaxed criteria, improvements are needed for employees in the catering industry.

Günter Proeller (FPÖ/OÖ) also criticized the omission of the preliminary check of wage and working conditions for Ukrainians. He fears that this will lead to more wage and social dumping. The door to abuse is opened wide. In addition, Proeller wonders which country “is next”. After all, there is war in many countries. Proeller also has no understanding for the lowering of the German level for regular seasonal workers. He warned that there would be more and more workers in tourism who no longer spoke German.

The Vorarlberg ÖVP Federal Councilor Heike Eder sees a win-win situation when it comes to the abolition of the employment permit for Ukrainians. On the one hand, Ukrainians get a perspective on the labor market, in return Austria gets valuable workers. Eder does not see the danger of wage and social dumping, after all there are still controls within the framework of the wage and social dumping law.

Maria Huber (Greens/St) also rated the present amendment as “right and important”. Well-trained specialists are a key competitive factor for companies, she pointed out. Austria will need qualified immigration. With the abolition of the work permit, Ukrainians received prospects and opportunities on the labor market.

Karl-Arthur Arlamovsky (NEOS/W) also promised his approval of the law. However, he asserted that the decision did not solve the basic problem of the red-white-red card. In 2022 there were only 8,150 holders of a red-white-red card on average. With more than 200,000 vacancies, that’s just “a drop in the bucket.” Arlamovsky blames the xenophobic climate, among other things, for Austria’s lack of attractiveness for foreign skilled workers. In order to bring the best minds to Austria, a modern immigration law is needed, he stressed. Once again, he also advocated a reduction in non-wage labor costs.

State Secretary Susanne Kraus emphasized that the amendment to the law also promotes the integration of those Ukrainians who want to stay in Austria. Many initially got into tourism, but now wanted to slowly switch to their original professions. This is made easier by the elimination of the permit requirement. As far as the red-white-red card is concerned, Kraus-Winkler sees the amendment as a valuable signal to international professionals.

Finally, the Federal Council also had to elect several new members of the joint committee of the National Council and the Federal Council in accordance with the Finance Constitutional Law. In future, Margit Göll (ÖVP/NÖ), Manfred Mertel (SPÖ/K), Doris Hahn (SPÖ/NÖ) and Klemens Kofler (FPÖ/NÖ) will also be members as well as Marlene Zeidler-Beck (ÖVP/NÖ) and Isabella Theuermann (FPÖ/K) belong as substitute members. (Federal Council conclusion) gs

NOTE: Meetings of the National Council and the Federal Council can also be followed via live stream and are available as video-on-demand in Parliament’s media library.