labour market

Federal government pushes wage and social dumping at the expense of Austrians instead of protecting employees Federal government pushes wage and social dumping at the expense of Austrians instead of protecting employees

Vienna (OTS) – According to a broadcast by ÖVP Finance Minister Brunner and ÖVP Labor Minister Kocher yesterday, wage and social dumping cases fell in the previous year, while the criminal charges were the same compared to 2021 and the fines increased to around 4.6 million euros. At FPÖ social spokeswoman and club chairman deputy NAbg. Dagmar Belakowitsch is by no means excited about the announced numbers: “Although fewer companies were checked, the fines in 2022 increased massively compared to the previous year. This clearly shows that Labor Minister Kocher has failed in preventing wage and social dumping. Conversely, this means that less controlled employers have suffered more wage and social dumping. Contrary to the big announcements that they want to protect employees from underpayment and non-compliance with social law provisions, the ÖVP-Green federal government remains inactive despite the obvious grievances so as not to annoy employers and consequently promote discrimination against employees. Because after the figures published today and the insightful answers to my parliamentary questions, a responsible Minister of Labor who is said to have committed himself to the fight against wage and social dumping should be clear that the controls must be massively increased!

“Just recently, a response from the Minister of Labor revealed that front companies continue to be generously funded by the AMS, even though they have long been on the Treasury Department’s ‘black list’ for having committed legal offenses in the past. In a further response to a query, Kocher admitted that these shell companies not only discriminate against their employees financially and socially, but also that they don’t have much time for employee protection. And when it comes to the withdrawal of the trade license as a further consequence, he is also reluctant”, the FPÖ social spokeswoman saw herself confirmed in the written answers to her parliamentary questions by ÖVP Labor Minister Kocher.

Another indication that the ÖVP and the Greens have little interest in the fight against social and financial discrimination against employees can be seen in the relaxation of the Foreigners Employment Act decided by the black-green federal government, with which the job market is to be opened up even more for foreigners. This week Belakowitsch already criticized that “under the pretext of repairing this law due to a judgment of the Constitutional Court from the previous year, according to which the previously planned unanimous approval of the AMS regional advisory board for the employment of third-country nationals without a red-white-red card is unconstitutional want the ÖVP and the Greens to open the labor market for further immigration”. With the further softening of the red-white-red card, in addition to the decision of March 2023, according to which knowledge of German is hardly necessary anymore and the preliminary examination of wage and working conditions was abolished, “the federal government opens up further wage and social dumping at the expense of the Austrians again door and gate”.

Link to the query response “AMS funding for dummy companies in Austria since January 1st, 2023” (14416/AB): https://www.parlament.gv.at/dokument/XXVII/AB/14416/imfname_1571752.pdf

Link to Query Response “Labor inspection review of front companies 2023” (14415/AB): https://www.parlament.gv.at/dokument/XXVII/AB/14415/imfname_1571748.pdf

Link to the query response “Consequences under commercial law for dummy companies and their managing directors under commercial law in 2023” (14411/AB):

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