ÖGB-Prischl: Social partner agreement still valid even in the event of catastrophic short-time work

The federal government has announced catastrophe short-time work due to the current flood disaster: Companies that are affected by a longer company closure can temporarily register their employees for short-time work. “However, this does not change the currently valid short-time work regulation, including compliance with the social partner agreement,” explains the head of the department for labor market and education policy in the Austrian Trade Union Confederation, Alexander Prischl.

Prischl particularly criticizes Federal Minister Martin Kocher’s imprecise choice of words: “Unlike what Minister Kocher formulated in his broadcast, the need for a social partner agreement does not disappear. What is true is that the law is an optional provision and the consent of the social partners is still required to grant aid for short-time work. This is particularly important so that affected employees receive the agreed net replacement rate of 90 percent.”

“The social partners have already demonstrated responsibility in implementing short-time work during the past corona pandemic. This should also be relied upon in the current natural disaster, which has affected thousands of employees and companies,” concluded Prischl.