Austria - Unions predict challenging pay round - September 13, 2009

The GDG local government union and other trade unions are preparing for difficult negotiations in the coming pay round as employers continue to talk about freezing pay. The unions reaffirm the importance of maintaining living standards, and warn about the risks of a deflationary spiral if workers are denied a pay increase. They also point out that they have a history of responsible negotiations where they aim to protect workers’ earnings while maintaining employers’ competitiveness. The unions have set up an online calculator so union members can work out the impact of a pay freeze in the longer term.

English: http://www.epsu.org/cob/319 ;

German: http://www.gdg.at/servlet/