Walter Bacher: Lift Co' Spokesman Retires

A veteran is retiring: Walter Bacher, who will retire at the end of 2024, is stepping down from his positions in the vida union in preparation. The 62-year-old handed over his role as spokesman for the "Cable Cars" collective bargaining team to his deputy Andreas Hochwimmer from the Kitzbühel cable cars.

rRock in the surf

"Walter Bacher was always a rock for the interests of the union," says vida regional chairman Friedrich Schinagl, highlighting the work of the Uttendorfer. "Whether as chief negotiator with the social partners in front of and behind the scenes, in his work in parliament or in the company. Walter upheld union activity in the truest sense of the saying 'in good times and in bad'." Kajetan Uriach, regional manager of vida Salzburg, adds: "There is a good reason why Walter Bacher is called 'Mr. Cable Car'. No problem, no matter how big or small, he dismissed and took care of it during the 31 years he was on the works council. He has made a great contribution, especially in the training of young colleagues; he was a key initiator of the cable car technology apprenticeship."

In Action for Teaching

Walter Bacher is a trained blacksmith and metalworker and has worked for the Kaprun Glacier Railway since 1989, most recently as head of the human resources department. Bacher, who fought for over 20 years to establish the cable car technology apprenticeship, also experienced the fire disaster at the Kaprun Glacier Railway during his cable car career as works council chairman. Together with the social partners in the cable car trade association, he was able to achieve, through collegial and good cooperation, that apprentices were trained as skilled workers. "Because up until then, cable car operators only had unskilled worker status," explains vida regional chairman Friedrich Schinagl. However, it was a long and rocky road until the "cable car specialist" training trial was finally approved in 2008, which then led to the standard "cable car technology" apprenticeship in 2012.

Commitment on many levels

"The functions that Walter Bacher has fulfilled fill entire volumes and his commitment went far beyond the usual union work during his time in office," Kajetan Uriach tries to sum up the top official's achievements: "Walter was - in addition to all his other functions in the municipality or in the National Council - a representative of the works council on the supervisory board of the glacier railways since 1990, in the same year he joined the collective bargaining team for the cable cars, which he has led since 2004. He is also a founding member of the current vida, which has united several sub-unions since 2006. And from 2000 he was also a AK Chamber Councilor for 24 years, where he vehemently represents the interests of the employees."

Baton handed over to Andreas Hochwimmer

"Despite my sadness that Walter Bacher, who is also the regional chairman of the ÖGB, is stepping down, I am pleased that the handover is going so smoothly. With Andreas Hochwimmer, who has been on the works council of the Kitzbühel cable cars since 2003 and has also been Walter's deputy on the collective bargaining committee since 2006, we are gaining a profound expert in the subject matter who will continue the work in the best sense," says Friedrich Schinagl, singing the praises of both the outgoing and the new speaker of the cable cars collective bargaining committee.