This would have the advantage that full-time work would be more easily accessible for everyone, said the red women’s leader Eva-Maria Holzleitner and party leader Andreas Babler in a press conference on Thursday.
Further demands from the SPÖ concern better wage transparency with penalties for underpayment and greater credit for waiting periods.
There is still a lot to do in Austria when it comes to equality, emphasized Holzleitner. Pay transparency is an extremely important lever. It’s not because of a lack of qualifications that women are paid less, “but simply because of gender discrimination.” “We will not accept this injustice,” said Babler. Their abolition might actually be implemented with simple political measures.
Encourage 35-hour weeks
For the SPÖ, a key to equality is – at least gradually – reducing working hours for everyone. Currently, more than half of women work part-time because there is a lack of childcare places in many regions or the opening times are not compatible with childcare. As a first step, the SPÖ wants to push the 35-hour week in sectors such as nursing, where the physical and psychological demands are enormous.
Another political lever for the SPÖ would be to count waiting periods into pensions. This is currently based on a fictitious income of currently 2,163.78 euros – this is too little, emphasized Holzleitner. An increase would also increase women’s pensions. Holzleitner also sees the measure as a possible incentive for more men to take up parental leave.
Iceland as a role model for wage transparency
Last but not least, the SPÖ also advocates full wage transparency based on the Icelandic model. This is the only way salaries can actually be compared. The EU directive that is intended to ensure wage transparency has also been in force since June 2023. However, the government is not showing any initiatives to quickly implement this at the Austrian level. Holzleitner therefore appealed to Women’s Minister Susanne Raab (ÖVP) not to let the 2026 deadline pass until the last day.
Babler sees a real “men’s problem” in violent attacks on women and even femicide, i.e. murders of women committed by men.
