For Knill, the ideas of a reduction in working hours endanger Austria’s international competitiveness and consequently domestic jobs, he said in a broadcast. In addition, they would cause “additional uncertainty in economically extremely challenging times”, he said and addressed directly to the SPÖ, he would “also want an opposition party to take more responsibility for our business location and economic understanding”.
For the new IV boss it is clear: “What is proposed here ultimately boils down to everyone losing in the process.” Knill is convinced that workers would lose part of their wages, that companies would face a further increase in the cost of labor – and therefore an additional burden – and that the location would lose international competitiveness.
Chamber of Commerce President Harald Mahrer had previously emphasized that he would not engage in a debate on a general reduction in working hours in the talks about extending corona short-time work, as also demanded by the union. “After short-time work, we want as many full-time jobs as possible, people need their full salary to be able to shop again,” he said in the “Kronen Zeitung” on Saturday. If the state or companies subsidized a reduction in working hours, that would be “the completely wrong signal” for Mahrer.
SPÖ federal manager Christian Deutsch tried on Saturday to emphasize the “many advantages of the SPÖ model for a subsidized reduction in working hours”. “With our funding concept for shortening working hours, we have presented a model that is both forward-looking and easy to implement, from which employment and jobs benefit just as much as employees and companies,” he said.
Deutsch showed no understanding for the negative attitude of the Chamber of Commerce President Mahrer, who “immediately switches to total blockade when he hears the word shortening of working hours”, said the SPÖ federal manager. “Mahrer likes to talk about innovation and the future, but he looks very old when it comes to shortening working hours,” said Deutsch, who made it clear to the President of the WKÖ: “The SPÖ model of shortening working hours is in the interests of business, Mr. Mahrer!”
