Implementation of the excessive vida demands would endanger the economic basis of the AUA and 6,200 jobs of the AUA employees
Vienna (OTS) – Günther Ofner, chairman of the aviation professional group in the Austrian Chamber of Commerce (WKÖ), criticizes the vida union’s demands for a salary increase of up to 40% as excessive and warns: “This would undermine the AUA’s economic base, which has only just recovered from an existential crisis, and thus 6,200 jobs of AUA employees are also at massive risk.”
Ofner also finds it incomprehensible that the AUA works council and the union want to wantonly destroy the well-deserved Easter holidays of more than 52,000 passengers, primarily families with school-age children. “The threat from the AUA works council and vida to go on strike for 36 hours at Easter, when families with children in particular want to go on their well-deserved Easter vacation, is absolutely irresponsible. Because one thing is clear: a strike does not bring a solution, but rather makes the current situation worse for everyone involved. Especially for the thousands of Austrians who rightly relied on and were looking forward to their Easter holiday.”
In addition, the required salary increase of 40% is also “a provocation towards taxpayers”, because the AUA was only recently saved from collapse by millions in state aid. Fulfilling such demands would also massively jeopardize the airline’s international competitiveness, as the additional costs would also cause ticket prices, which have recently risen significantly, to rise further. “At the same time, that would be a further blow, especially against families with children and low-income groups, especially against many employees who want to continue to go on vacation in the future,” says the aviation boss. And further: “Whether these costs would actually ultimately be borne by the previously loyal AUA customers or whether they would subsequently switch to other hubs outside of Austria remains unclear for the time being. In any case, the economic weakening of the AUA would massively damage Austria as a business location.”
Quick solution instead of calculated escalation at the expense of thousands of passengers
The strike threat from the AUA works council is all the more incomprehensible since the AUA management did everything to avoid an escalation of the situation, as is now being pushed by the union. Once again, after the at least 11% increase from 2023, there is an above-average offer on the table – despite extremely challenging economic times. The AUA has made numerous concessions and most recently even offered an increase of up to 18%, significantly more than in all recently concluded collective agreements in other sectors, even based on 22 months. Instead of a blockade and strategic escalation on the backs of travelers, Ofner demands urgent solutions: “It is high time to end the riots against the AUA and its passengers and reach a compromise. The reputation of one of the best airlines in Europe and Vienna as an aviation location has already been deliberately damaged and any further disruptive action is a ‘shot in the foot’ for the AUA workforce.”
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