Austrian Lift Workers To Get 4.5% Payrise

Cable car operators in Austria will receive 4.5 percent more wages from May 1, 2022. according to Union vida: Apprentice income increased by up to 25 percent to be able to survive in the competition for skilled workers

"Despite corona-related operating restrictions and travel restrictions in tourism, the 2022 collective bargaining agreement negotiations were successfully concluded with the employers for the employees," says Walter Bacher, head of negotiations for the union vida. “The average inflation over the last 12 months, which is decisive for social partner negotiations, was 3.5 percent. With our KV degree of 4.5 percent, we were able to achieve a significant increase in real income," said the spokesman for the vida KV committee for cable cars. It is therefore also clear that the high inflation forecast for the coming months must be taken into account in the next negotiations in 2023, adds Bacher.

It is gratifying that a significant increase in apprentice income was also achieved with the KV qualification, Bacher continues. The apprentice income increases by 25.3 percent in the first year of apprenticeship, by 21.9 percent in the second and by 19.4 percent in the third. In absolute figures, the apprenticeship income for newcomers from May 1, 2022 is 1,050 euros in the first year, 1,225 euros in the second, 1,400 euros in the third and 1,750 euros in the fourth year of apprenticeship.

Kajetan Uriach, state secretary of the vida trade union in Salzburg responsible for looking after the cable car operators, adds: "In order to be able to counteract the shortage of skilled workers and also to survive in the competition for future apprentices for the cable cars, the union and employers have agreed on these noticeable increases. "