Austrian Unions Strike to Save Threatened Pension System

Posted to the IUF website 03-Jun-2003

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ÖGB President Verzetnitsch with striking Coca-Cola workers

Austria's trade union center ÖGB has launched another round of mass strikes in defense of the country's threatened pension system. Draft legislation proposed by the governing center-right coalition would raise the legal retirement age by 6 years and ultimately cut pensions by as much as 40% for certain categories of pensioners.

Following successful strike action on May 6 and a mass rally in Vienna on May 13, the government agreed to roundtable discussions with unions and employers, but has failed to yield on essential elements of the proposed cuts. The ÖGB executive therefore unanimously voted to carry out new strikes on June 3, focussing on private industry and public transport.

The IUF-affiliated Food and Allied Workers' Union ANG has informed the secretariat of strikes taking place at some 80 enterprises, including all Coca-Cola facilities and all breweries.