SPÖ social spokesman and FSG boss Josef Muchitsch confirmed this at a press conference on Thursday. Muchitsch suspected that implementation would amount to “interference in people’s wallets” and thus “wage theft by law”. The idea that this might strengthen the business location is “nonsense”.
He expressed sharp criticism of the People’s Party, which, contrary to the announcement of the Chancellor and ÖVP chairman Karl Nehammer, was flirting with the idea. “By law, the ÖVP wants to increase the normal working hours here at the suggestion of the Industrial Association (…) without adjusting wages.” In fact, more work is done in Austria than in many other countries. In addition, people with a 41-hour week would lose their purchasing power, which would dampen consumption and thus weaken the economy.
Nehammer said on Wednesday that implementing the proposal was out of the question for him. Constitutional Minister Karoline Edtstadler (ÖVP) also made it clear that she had nothing to gain from the industry initiative. She previously spoke regarding the fact that more work needs to be done in Austria rather than less.
Muchitsch thinks this is “not credible”: “Whenever a measure is a bit exuberant (…), people then row back,” said the FSG chairman. However, the ÖVP has already pursued policies to the detriment of employees in the past. And: “If blue and black were to end following the election, then we know what will happen.”
Similarly, SPÖ federal manager Klaus Seltenheim, who accused the ÖVP of wanting to restrict the rights of employees. What is needed is a four-day week, which the SPÖ has been calling for for a long time. This is “not just in the interests of the employees, it is also entirely in the interests of the companies”.
