For the third time within a few weeks, airline employees took to the streets. This time the employees of the insolvent level held a rally in front of the Federal Chancellery.

On Wednesday morning around 150 employees of the insolvent airline Level Europe held a rally in front of the Federal Chancellery. As a result of the fact that the company did not receive any state aid from the Republic of Austria, the parent company IAG decided that the domestic subsidiary had to file for bankruptcy. The Korneuburg Regional Court has now opened a corresponding procedure and appointed the trustee.

“Fortunately, the number of job seekers in Austria is falling again overall. But in sectors that are particularly affected, such as aviation, the number of those affected is increasing. The federal government must therefore look for solutions and alternatives in order to keep the jobs, ”says Vida department head Daniel Liebhart, who also reminds the federal government of its promise that no one will be left behind in the crisis.

The chairman of the Level Europe works council, Harald Kleedorfer, called on the Austrian federal government for a discussion during the rally. The aim is to find a joint solution to save the company and thus the jobs. At the rally in front of the Chancellery, all participants held four balloons in their hands. This campaign should symbolize that - as studies show - every job at an airline directly creates four more jobs in Austria. "Saving our 200 jobs would therefore give a large number of other employees in Austria job security," emphasized Kleedorfer.

During the rally, an open letter from the works council to the federal government was read out. The letter states that workers will continue to put their trust in the government. The words of Federal Chancellor Kurz at his press conference on March 18, 2020 are recalled in the letter: “Our approach is clear. We want to do everything humanly possible to prevent unemployment and insolvency in companies. Our approach is: cost what it may to save Austrian jobs. "

Reference is also made in the open letter to corresponding quotes from Finance Minister Blümel from the National Council meeting on March 20, 2020: (...) But we know that we will do everything to maintain the health of Austrians, to secure jobs and to maintain the location to bear the crisis. Cost what it may. "

In its letter to the government, the works council also points out that at Level Europe, among other things, Austrian employment contracts and, without exception, direct employment in the company as well as consistent compliance with laws, unlike other competitors on the Austrian market, are a matter of course.

"If Level does not continue its flight operations, 200 high-quality and sustainable jobs, decades of expertise and know-how in the Austrian aviation industry in Vienna as a business location will be irretrievably lost," said the Level Works Council in its open letter.