Burgenland is once again taking a different path from the federal government, and quite consciously, as is emphasized: As announced at the turn of the year, the state will not adopt the federal contract for the public service, but has negotiated its own model with the trade union.
300 euros gross more, and that for all salary levels, is the motto in the country this year. Nationally, salaries will increase by 7.15 percent for high earners and 9.41 percent for lower earners. The state model brings – depending on the salary, of course – up to 15 percent, emphasizes state governor Hans Peter Doskozil.
The minimum wage of 1,700 euros is always used as a reference value: With the most recent adjustments, it has risen to over 1,800 euros net and with the new Burgenland model it is now 2,000 euros. Overall, the regulation affects more than 8,000 employees, state and municipal employees as well as those in public construction and in the KRAGES hospitals. Both the state and the union are now calculating that 80 percent will benefit directly from this.
The country’s “social path” also demands solidarity
However, the recipients of higher salaries must show solidarity. After the federal agreement, they would have up to 700 euros more in their pockets. Those 20 percent who do not have to accept a zero wage round but have to accept a lower increase will have to wait until the next negotiations. The state regulation only applies this year. Otherwise, the pay gap would be unfair from the point of view of higher incomes.
“Of course there is always room for improvement, but especially in the current situation, a very good deal was achieved here,” summarizes Manuel Sulyok, State Chairman of the Public Service Union. Gerhard Horwath from the union younion also sees the “extraordinary situation” of the inflation wave as the basis for the agreement. 95 percent of the municipal employees would benefit this year, next year they would rather have 100 percent.
How individual and complex these negotiations are – and how multi-layered the discussion about the minimum wage in particular is – Sulyok shows with an example: “In addition to the often mentioned cleaner and the administrative director, there are many different professional groups and more than around 30 Salary bands to consider!”
