In Austria, the wheels are standing still on almost all railway lines because no agreement could be reached between the Chamber of Commerce and the Vida trade union at the weekend. The employee representatives accuse the railway workers' strike of being "part of the Vida script".

There was no significant rapprochement in the negotiation marathon. This even ended with the most recent offer made by the employer being withdrawn. The Vida union said it was only eight euros higher than the previous proposal. The employee representatives insist that wages and salaries should be increased so that employees receive at least 400 euros more per month. Employers recently offered 208 euros.

The Vida trade union argues that wages and salaries must be at a level that, given the sharp rise in the cost of living, there is no risk of poverty. As an example of particularly low pay, the pay of the railway workers who work on the state-subsidized night trains is cited. The starting salary should be 1.356 euros. Adjusted for inflation, the at-risk-of-poverty threshold is 1.500 euros per month.

Employers will counter that the increase in wages and salaries by EUR 400 per month would not be feasible for the railway companies. It is even claimed that the Vida trade union is trying to enforce all demands by means of strikes. “There is always a day after the strike and on that day we start all over again, the employee representatives must be aware of that. At no time were fair negotiations at eye level with a constructive exchange of arguments, but a dictate of the union. We have to acknowledge that Vida is currently rewriting some of the rules of the social partnership game. This ranges from breaking off talks after the first round to immediately organizing works meetings. About the insistent slogans on completely unrealistic demands that companies cannot finance. To the point of going on strike as an instrument of extortion in order to push through demands with a dot and a comma. And that against the background of the highest offer of all sectors that have so far negotiated collective agreements. We have to react to that, ”said WKO chief negotiator Scheibner.

Passengers should consider alternatives

For passengers, the warning strike, which will take place all day on November 28, 2022, means that rail traffic will be suspended on all ÖBB routes. This also affects private providers who use the infrastructure of the Austrian Federal Railways. The background is that chauffeur service providers and other mandatory professional groups are also downing their work. The ÖBB has therefore stopped operating all routes. Only on routes operated by other infrastructure operators can individual trains occasionally run. Most of the time it is local railways that are state or privately owned.

According to the Austrian Federal Railways, the feeder services to the Austrian airports will not operate either. That includes the City Airport Train. The Vienna Airport Lines, which are operated by the ÖBB subsidiary Postbus, are not affected and are scheduled to operate as Postbus AG is not on strike. This also applies to traffic to the federal state airports, regardless of whether they are carried out by Postbus, municipal or private bus companies. However, using the example of Vienna Airport Lines, the ÖBB explained that rail tickets are not recognized on the bus, so that those affected have to buy a new ticket or have to switch to taxis or other travel providers.

Travelers should find out exactly on November 28, 2022 whether there is an alternative option using public transport. In many cases, there are bus services from the transport associations, which could be considered as an alternative with considerably longer travel times and possibly several changes. If necessary, the domestic and international long-distance bus routes from Flixbus and other providers could also be an alternative if you absolutely have to travel on Monday, because trains can also be canceled in international rail traffic. For example, a train running from Budapest to Munich cannot go via Austria. As a result, the Salzburg-Munich sub-segment is also cancelled. Individual connections may be diverted via neighboring countries, but a traveler who wants to go from Salzburg to Munich has nothing to do with this.

The railway companies are extending the validity of tickets issued for November 28, 2022. Most providers also allow free cancellation when the money is returned. Travelers should obtain detailed information from ÖBB, Regiojet, Westbahn and other railway companies. Under certain circumstances, companies may also have to bear additional costs. You can get information about passenger rights free of charge from the Agency for Passenger and Passenger Rights and, if necessary, also get independent advice.