AK NÖ-Wieser: Putting the financing of the solidarity state on a new and broader footing

Lower Austrian Chamber of Labor President and ÖGB Lower Austria Chairman Markus Wieser advocated for new and broader financing of the solidarity state at the general meeting of the Lower Austrian Chamber of Labor: “Today, the economic success of companies is increasingly tied to the use of computers, machines and robotics . The ratio between man and machine is now only 60 to 40 percent. This results in a 40 percent gap in the financing of social security, which must be closed quickly. The basis for calculating all taxes is still the total wages and salaries. In the future, companies should also contribute to financing the solidarity state based on their use of high-tech means of production. Therefore, the entire value creation, regardless of whether it is created by people or by machines, must be used as the basis for contributions.” The President was encouraged by a resolution passed unanimously by all parliamentary groups with the demand that the “financing of the solidarity state be put on new and broader footing to provide”.

In his introduction, the President referred to the high level of trust that the people of Austria have in the AK. “With 58 percentage points, four more than last year, we are in the top 5 in the APA/OGM trust index, side by side with the armed forces and emergency service organizations. On the one hand, this is great praise for our work, but on the other hand it is also the mandate and obligation not to tire of always being there for the working population in Austria and representing their interests resolutely and successfully,” said Wieser.

The core of his speech was about the changing world of work and the necessary consequences of it. “A central question arises: How can we ensure the sustainable financing of our solidarity system? Automation, robotics and artificial intelligence support people at work, but they are also increasingly replacing them. Given the changes in the world of work, it is necessary to discuss and ensure a fair redistribution of the tax burden. Not for its own sake or for fun and foolishness, but because we advocate secure financing for the solidarity state and an affordable life for everyone,” said Wieser.