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2 July, 2000The political scene and enlargement of the European Union were high on the Congress agenda of the IMF's Austrian affiliate.
AUSTRIA: Reflecting the need to consolidate the trade union movement in the changing economic and political situation, the recent Congress of the Metal, Mining and Energy Workers' Union (GMBE) voted unanimously to merge with the textile workers. The newly formed trade union is called the Metal and Textile Workers' Union (GMT), with the former president of the metalworkers, Rudolf Nuernberger, elected as GMT president, and the former president of the textile workers, Harald Ettl, as vice-president.
The GMT has approximately 220,000 members in the metal, mining, energy, textile, clothing, leather and leasing branches. It negotiates 20 collective agreements for more than 300,000 workers every year and has more than 6,500 works councils and 620 youth works councils.
The current Austrian political situation as well as the need for new trade union strategies were discussed at length at the Congress. Measures being taken by the conservative coalition government to consolidate the budget are placing a burden on the workers and particularly those with lower wages. Companies are getting tax breaks and wage-cost reductions. The Austrian government also wants to quit the so-called "social partnership" between the government, unions and companies, which had provided for successful social dialogue and negotiations in the past.
A highlight of the Congress was the discussion about the future of the European Union and its enlargement. The former president of the European Parliament, Klaus Haensch, and other guest speakers agreed that extending the EU was the only way forward if Europe was to have a successful future, and social issues had to be the priority. The European Union's future, they declared, has to be a social one, or it will have no future.
Some 1,000 Congress delegates voted for a working programme which includes collective bargaining, support for works councils, as well as the GMT's social policies and strategic planning. It also deals extensively with works councils and collective bargaining on the European level.
The GMT has approximately 220,000 members in the metal, mining, energy, textile, clothing, leather and leasing branches. It negotiates 20 collective agreements for more than 300,000 workers every year and has more than 6,500 works councils and 620 youth works councils.
The current Austrian political situation as well as the need for new trade union strategies were discussed at length at the Congress. Measures being taken by the conservative coalition government to consolidate the budget are placing a burden on the workers and particularly those with lower wages. Companies are getting tax breaks and wage-cost reductions. The Austrian government also wants to quit the so-called "social partnership" between the government, unions and companies, which had provided for successful social dialogue and negotiations in the past.
A highlight of the Congress was the discussion about the future of the European Union and its enlargement. The former president of the European Parliament, Klaus Haensch, and other guest speakers agreed that extending the EU was the only way forward if Europe was to have a successful future, and social issues had to be the priority. The European Union's future, they declared, has to be a social one, or it will have no future.
Some 1,000 Congress delegates voted for a working programme which includes collective bargaining, support for works councils, as well as the GMT's social policies and strategic planning. It also deals extensively with works councils and collective bargaining on the European level.