21 April 2021

Austria Insight by Karin Sawetz: Will the economy of the country be directed by the legislation backwards or will the people get the chance to create for their country a better future?

When authorities proclaim "comeback" in relation to economy and labor, they might mean workforces are worth less than before people came into a situation which has thrown them out of the market. People who are over longer time without a job can theoretically regardless of their qualifications being employed after the lowest collective agreement. This is a common practice set out in law and applied in agreement with the social partners (employers and employee representatives). Austria is now over more than a year in the situation of more or less strict lockdowns. This means that many Austrians are 'long-time unemployed'. They have to work for example as ...whatever... when officials send them a job offer - even when they have worked absolutely in another field and collected other experiences. Every judge in the labor legislation can certify the practice.

The current government announced plans to bring 200.000 people back into jobs this summer. Austria has around 5,9 million employable people. Around 950.000 people are currently registered as unemployed or as employees in short-time work at the AMS, the Austrian Public Employment Service. Not in these numbers, the ones who are afraid to lose their workplace, their business or young people who get no chance to find an apprenticeship or internship. Recently, the AMS has launched the 'alle jobs' platform at www.ams.at/allejobs where people can find work offered by the AMS and other job providers. According to the official press release of the AMS, almost 300.000 vacancies can be found at the new application 'alle jobs'. Sounds as if it's easy to bring 200.000 back into their jobs. The official March 2021 statistics of the AMS show 74.011 vacancies for 457,817 unemployed people (incl. training participants). Additionally to the unemployed, around 490.000 are in a short-time working situation which means they are also registered at the AMS and wouldn't say no to a well paid full-time job. Who comes first? And who are the ones that will lose officially all their qualifications for a job with the lowest salary in Austria? It's legally possible and it's in practise already. Only that in the current situation not only a few but many people are impacted by the very vivid rules of the labor legislation. Unfortunately, this rule isn't a 'dead letter' (in German 'totes Recht'; means a law that is no longer enforced). Will judges and officials shape the people's future?

Postcard from Vienna: The pictures were captured on 21 April 2021 during the hard lockdown. Stores, cafés, restaurants, museums are closed. Where normally masses of tourists are taking pictures of St. Stephen's Cathedral, police cars with running neon signs are raising awareness for the pandemic and the order to wear FFP2 masks at the Stephansplatz (first picture in the middle row, above). The city appears like a deserted place. Pictures right from above: Outdoor areas of gastronomy at the Graben and at the photo below, view at Singerstrasse with bicycles for rent.) The source of Austria's wealth is the smartness of the small traders - which appear currently paralyzed, the creativity of the many small sized manufactories and arts & crafts businesses with one or two people doing the whole job, the care of hair and beauty professionals, farmers and gardeners,... they all - employed and self-employed, look in the one or other way after the Austrian soil. The picture below the cathedral shows a flower bed in the Stadtpark with tulips in the colors of the Austrian flag. At the image left, parts of the fountain 'Befreiung der Quelle' (Liberation of the Source) at the Stadtpark. The figure tries to lift the stone to let the water spring.