Sensational result for LEFT in the AK election in Vienna

2024-04-24 23:21:32

Viennese party secures 4 mandates in the Chamber of Labor and invites you to a free cinema

Vienna (OTS) – When LINKS took part in a Chamber of Labor election for the first time, the Viennese party won a great 2.4 percent of the vote (as of the provisional results from April 24th). This means that four LINKS candidates are expected to enter the “Parliament of the Workers”: Florian Rath, Diana Leah Möslinger, Sheri Avraham and Mo Asghar. LINKS takes this success as an opportunity and, together with the newly appointed chamber councilors, invites you to the screening of ‘Sorry we missed you’ for free in Vienna’s oldest cinema, the Breitenseer Lichtspiele.

“We are grateful for the trust and proud that we were able to achieve such a great result in the Chamber of Labor election on our first attempt. 2.4 percent and 4 mandates are a strong basis for our work over the next 5 years,” said LINKS top candidate Florian Rath. During the election campaign, LINKS called for, among other things, 30-hour full-time work, multilingual counseling services and contact points for LGBTQIA* people. “We make politics for people, not for profits, and listen to those affected by discrimination. Our demands reflect exactly that,” Rath continued.

Second on the list and future AK Chamber Councilor Diana Leah Möslinger adds: “Reducing working hours and supporting marginalized people are not niche topics. It always pays off to stand up for people and fight for a beautiful life for everyone.”

The 4 mandates from LINKS will advocate consistently left-wing positions in the general assembly of the Chamber of Labor. LINKS also promises to make the funding that the party receives through its work in the Chamber of Labor transparent and to use it for social purposes.

LINKS also gives something back to people to celebrate the day. LINKS district councilor in Penzing and candidate in 7th place, Christin Spormann, is organizing a free cinema event. “We want to thank the voters, but also give something back to the entire community. That’s why we’re showing the film ‘Sorry we missed you’ for free in Vienna’s oldest cinema, the Breitenseer Lichtspiele. Entry is free and our top candidates Flo and Diana will also be there.” The film ‘Sorry we missed you’ by Ken Loach from 2019 deals with questions surrounding the topic of work: grueling working conditions, wages, the… not enough to live on, and the constant fight for one’s own rights. The event will take place on Thursday, May 2nd at 7 p.m.

LINKS spokeswoman and candidate Angelika Adensamer concluded: “Our activists have done an incredible job and, with months of commitment, promoted our top candidates to the Chamber of Labor. And not even close, but at an impressive 2.4 percent. We are really looking forward to working and having a say in such an important committee.”

About the LINKS mandates:

Florian Rath is 26 years old and works at a sausage stand in Simmering. He was previously employed at an IT company, where he founded a works council. He lost the job after an anti-union campaign by management. Rath is involved in his neighborhood, organizes German tutoring, supports his neighbors with administrative procedures and organizes furniture transport to the Macondo refugee settlement.

Diana Leah Möslinger is a professional driver in the motorcycle industry and volunteers to ensure that rallies run smoothly. Möslinger has long been concerned with sexual assault and toxic masculinity and was also a member of the first point of contact at LINKS.

Sheri Avraham is an artist, curator and performer and the AK election is the only election in which Avraham is allowed to vote in Austria. In her artistic and political work, Avraham advocates for fair pay for artists and cultural workers. The Chamber of Labor in Vienna currently has far too little experience with the needs of art and cultural workers.

Mo Asghar works in the kitchen at McDonald’s. He has been living in Austria for 8 years without a permanent residence permit and is a volunteer interpreter for the LINKS social counseling service. The AK election is the only election in Austria in which Asghar is eligible to vote. In his free time, Asghar spends a lot of time traveling around the city, checking out what’s going on, cooking, playing (and teaching) chess, tailoring and meeting friends.

You can find photos and images here. You can find further information about the candidates and demands of LINKS here.