Major Achievements

Since its foundation in the year 1945, the Austrian Federation of Trade Unions has been fighting for a co-ordinated pay and incomes policy; a policy which does not only strive for higher income but for stable prices as well.

Right from the beginning the main aims of the OeGB have been:

• Improvement of living standards
• Full employment
• Active labour market policy
• Reduction of working time

The major achievements of the OeGB include:

1959:             
introduction of the 45-hour-week

1965:             
minimum holiday of three weeks

1965:            
"Krankheit unterbricht Urlaub" (illness interrupts holiday)

1966:             
hospitalisation insurance

1966:             
lowering the age of early retirement: 60 for men and 55 for  women (this has lately been changed)

1969-1975:      
gradual introduction of the 40-hour-week

1971:             
starter bonus for young couples (of about EUR 1.100)

1971/72:          
free public transport and free school books for pupils

1973:             
Labour Constitution Act (more co-determination at enterprise  level)

1974:             
Continued Payment of Remuneration Act (in case of illness of  accident)

1975:             
"Fristenlösung" (legalised abortion)

1976:              
Act of Employment for Foreign Nationals

1977:             
minimum holiday of four weeks

1977:             
luxury tax of 30% for expensive import goods

1979:             
severance pay for workers

1979:              
Act of Equal Treatment for Men and Women at the workplace

1981:             
Act for Night Shifts and Heavy Workers

1990:             
working week of 38 hours

1990:             
minimum holiday of five weeks

After the elections of 1999 the Social Democratic Party (SPOe) went into opposition as the People's Party (OeVP) formed a coalition with the Austrian Freedom Party (FPOe). Since then there have been massive cutbacks of services: cuts in pensions (see strikes against the new pension reform), retained amounts for patients, worsening of unemployment regulations, introduction of tuition fees for students, etc.

All these cuts have led to numerous demonstrations, acts of protests and strikes which culminated in May and June 2003 in the biggest strikes since World War II. As the former OeGB president Fritz Verzetnitsch stated, the OeGB would go on fighting for the improvement and maintenance of the Austrian welfare state.