Commercial workers demonstrated in the city
Business
The commercial employees demonstrated on Wednesday in the city of Salzburg for more wages. Your collective bargaining negotiations are currently on hold. It is disrespectful that employers would only offer four percent more plus a one-off payment. Around 400 participants attended lunch.
30,000 Salzburg residents are employed in retail. The work climate index shows that two-thirds have little or no income at all. Because the collective bargaining negotiations are still unsuccessful, the participants in the demonstration marched loudly through downtown Salzburg. The demonstrators were repeatedly applauded by other retail employees.
No agreement in three rounds of negotiations
The trade employees want ten percent more – but three rounds of negotiations have so far failed to reach an agreement. To do this, you have to demonstrate, says Michael Hofer from the Union of Private Employees (GPA). “We noticed at the more than 300 works meetings that people are behind us.” The employers have blocked the negotiations so far – “it is incomprehensible that they think that four percent are generous”. If there is no agreement in the next round of negotiations, then there will be further measures, said Hofer.
Company: “Stretched bouquet”
On the part of the companies, however, it was said that their offer was not at four percent, but almost at the salary increase of the metalworkers. “Four percent increase plus three percent as a tax-free contribution, plus two, three, four hundred euros for the apprentices and a basic salary of 1,900 euros – there’s a bouquet of flowers here too, and if you compare that with the metalworkers, of course there is the opportunity to sharpen things up in retail as well,” said Johann Höflmaier from the retail division of the Salzburg Chamber of Commerce. But it should also be possible for the union to move, according to Höflmaier.
Negotiations will continue on November 22nd.