The management of Austro Control and the Vida trade union reached a compromise in the collective bargaining agreement that is intended to ensure the continued existence of the company. After nine rounds of negotiations, there is now a result that also includes an austerity package.

Austro Control is one of the very few Austrian companies that is allowed to negotiate and conclude collective agreements itself. Otherwise this is reserved for the social partners. Since the ACG also recorded less income due to the sharp drop in air traffic, the management pushed for a tough austerity package.

“We have worked with the management to come up with a savings package that protects Austro Control and continues to guarantee safe air traffic in Austria. The only ones who take responsibility for the company and make a contribution are therefore the employees ”, explains Vida department chairman Daniel Liebhart, who also criticizes the fact that Austro Control is“ let down ”by the Republic of Austria as the owner.

“If nothing is done, the company's equity will slide into negative territory. This means that not only the entire company is in the air, but also the entire air traffic control in Austria. Without Austro Control, there would be no safe air traffic, ”says Liebhart, who is himself an air traffic controller. “We are currently in the most serious crisis in aviation. All large companies are on short-time work and have reduced working hours to less than 30 percent. The tight personnel capacities of Austro Control, however, do not allow short-time working in the company even with this workload. The crisis only resulted in the company being able to draw up contract-compliant duty rosters for the first time in decades. ”However, according to the union, the situation has been known for a long time and was established by the works council and union in 2006.

In recent years, the supervisory board has repeatedly called for staff cuts and thus wanted - according to the union - to reduce fees in the long term. This has already been criticized repeatedly by Vida, which suspects that this could really spur dumping competition in Austria. “Due to the great solidarity of the employees with the Austro Control company, it has never been out of the question that the workforce is aware of their high level of responsibility - even in times of crisis. However, this dirty bucket campaign, which was carried out against the employees, shattered a lot of trust over the long term, ”says Liebhart, annoyed.

The fact is that neither the owner nor the board of directors have done anything to save the company. “The unscrupulousness of the actions of the capital representatives could not be surpassed in this situation. We won't forget that in the future either, ”concludes Liebhart.