Chamber of Labor Upper Austria

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The Upper Austrian Chamber of Labor (AKOÖ) is the legal representation of interests for more than 650,000 employees in the state of Upper Austria .

Legal basis and organization

The Chamber of Labor Act from 1992 forms the basis for the activities of the Upper Austria Chamber of Labor. The AKOÖ is one of 9 regional chambers ( chamber for workers and employees ) and sends delegates to the Federal Chamber of Labor.

The Chamber of Labor is a corporation under public law , it operates without state interference and is based on the self-administration of its members. Every 5 years the AK members elect 110 councilors. These form the general assembly of the AKOÖ, which in turn elect the president, vice-president and board of directors. The general assembly decides on financial management and political guidelines. It meets twice a year.

After the last AK election in Upper Austria in March 2019, the plenary assembly consists of 79 chamber councilors from the Social Democratic Union (FSG) group, 15 from the Austrian Workers' Association (ÖAAB-FCG), 11 from the freedom workers. inside (FA), 4 of the alternative and independent workers (AUGE) and a mandate from the ABG .

Johann Kalliauer (FSG) has been President of the Upper Austria Chamber of Labor since 2003 .

The next election of the Chamber of Labor in Upper Austria is expected to take place in spring 2024.

AKOÖ is based in Linz . The Upper Austrian Chamber of Labor is also represented by 14 district offices in the state of Upper Austria. There are district offices of the Chamber of Labor at the following locations: Braunau , Eferding , Freistadt , Gmunden , Grieskirchen , Kirchdorf , Perg , Ried / Innkreis , Rohrbach , Schärding , Steyr , Vöcklabruck , Traun and Wels .

The Upper Austrian Chamber of Labor currently employs around 480 people.

The Chamber of Labor is financed exclusively through the contributions of its members. The contribution (chamber levy) averages 7 euros per month and member. Around one sixth of the members are exempt from the chamber levy.

Core tasks of the Chamber of Labor Upper Austria

The Chamber of Labor represents the interests of all members. A wide range of advice and services is available for individual members.

Advocacy

• The AKOÖ is involved in the assessment of laws . Its aim is to represent and take into account the concerns of employees in the law.
• The AKOÖ is part of the self-administration of the labor market service , pension insurance institution or health insurance company, among others .
• The AKOÖ sends lay judges to the labor and social courts.

Service offers

• The Upper Austrian Chamber of Labor offers its members advice on questions of labor and social law . If necessary, members are represented both out of court and in court within the framework of free legal protection. AKOÖ also represents employees in insolvency cases and offers special advice for apprentices.
• Further services offered by the Chamber of Labor are consumer protection , help with questions of equal treatment , educational advice and advice on immigration .
• The Chamber of Labor is an important provider of training and further education with the Vocational Promotion Institute (bfi), the Vocational Training and Rehabilitation Center (BBRZ) and the adult education centers.
• The AKOÖ has been collecting the Austrian Working Climate Index since 1997 , which provides a well-founded database on the situation of workers in Austria.

Current account 2019

In 2019, the Upper Austrian Chamber of Labor answered around 325,000 inquiries (by phone, in person, e-mail and via social media) in labor and social law, consumer protection and educational advice. In addition to advice and information, the AK also represents its members in labor and social law issues vis-à-vis employers or even in court. In total, the AK was able to secure almost 118 million euros for its members in 2019.

history

Foundation and First Republic

The general assembly of the AKOÖ met for the first time in spring 1921. The Chamber of Labor Act submitted by the social reformer Ferdinand Hanusch was thus implemented.

In the 1920s, the Chamber of Labor developed into an important factor in Austrian domestic politics, thereby creating the necessary corrective to the dominance of the Chamber of Commerce in Upper Austria .

The Austro-Fascist corporate state from 1934 to 1938 interrupted the reform work of the Chamber of Labor and the trade unions. After fierce resistance from the workers' movement in the February struggles in Linz and other industrial areas in Upper Austria, democracy was abolished in Austria and the Chamber of Labor and the trade union banned. The rule of the National Socialists from 1938 to 1945 continued this policy, important representatives of the labor movement were persecuted.

Upswing and social partnership

The new beginning

The Upper Austrian Chamber of Labor was re-established in the spring of 1946. The constituent meeting took place on May 11, 1946 in the old town hall of Linz. President Heinrich Kandl (SPÖ) and the two vice-presidents Franz Razinger (SPÖ) and Franz Kriz (ÖVP) thus laid the foundation for the successful rebuilding of the Chamber of Labor and the State of Upper Austria. In addition to mandataries from the SPÖ and ÖVP , a mandate from the KPÖ was also represented at this first general assembly .

In his inaugural address, President Kandl emphasized the employees' new self-confidence:

“The tremendous upheavals have brought about a world-historically significant rise in power for the working class. The essential thing is that it is no longer possible to rule against the proletariat. Today begins a new phase in the work of our Chamber of Labor. We all want to do our best. In this sense, I can invite everyone, regardless of which political direction they belong to, to collaborate and support together and understandingly. "

- 60 years: AK Upper Austria in the Second Republic

October strike and reconstruction

In order to promote economic development and social equilibrium, the Chamber of Labor and the trade union developed the system of social partnership together with the government and representatives of farmers and businesses . With this system, Austria was able to develop into a social, modern and efficient state.

Reconstruction, however, was not without hardship and conflict. In order not to endanger the economic recovery, great sacrifices were made on the workers. The cost of living rose steadily while incomes remained low. The industry could invest in this way, wage earners had to practice doing without temporarily. While the top representatives of the Chamber of Labor accepted this development, resentment began to spread among the workers.

In autumn 1950 strikes broke out in large parts of Austria, and workers marched in front of the AK building in Linz and loudly demanded the resignation of President Kandl. This demand faded away, in the following days the strike movement was denounced as communist, the influence of the KPÖ on the workers in Upper Austria declined sharply.

The development of the following decades proved the leadership of the Chamber of Labor and the trade union at the time. The tough post-war years were soon over, the workers were able to expand and secure their share of the prosperity in Austria.

The Chamber of Labor today

The Chamber of Labor is an integral part of the Austrian system of social partnership . Compared to the other chambers ( Chamber of Agriculture , Chamber of Commerce ), the AK has the lowest budget per member, but at the same time the highest care rate. Every employee of the Chamber of Labor Upper Austria has 1,397 members; the AK has a budget of around 110 euros for each member. At the Chamber of Commerce, each employee is theoretically responsible for 57 "members"; the Chamber of Commerce has around 2000 euros available for each "member".

For years, the Chamber of Labor has achieved great approval and trust in surveys among the Austrian population. According to a representative IFES survey from 2018, 83 percent of those questioned consider the Chamber of Labor to be a "very important" or "important" representation of interests. In terms of trust, the AK is ahead of comparable organizations and institutions - such as the Chamber of Commerce, the state government or the political parties.

From 1977 to 1993 the Upper Austrian Chamber of Labor awarded the Max-von-der-Grün Prize , then the Book Prize . The AK literature prize has been awarded since 2017 .

Web links

• Chamber of Labor Upper Austria

Individual evidence

1. ↑ http://ooe.arbeiterkammer.at
2. ↑ https://ooe.arbeiterkammer.at/service/presse/AK_Bilanz__118_Millionen_fuer_Mitglieder_erkaempft.html
3. ↑ 60 years: AK Upper Austria in the Second Republic, supplement to the AK Report, May 2006, Linz 2006.
4. ↑ [1] (PDF; 200 kB).
5. ↑ Karin Seyringer: Grand Finale of the AK Literature Prize 2019: Award ceremony on October 4th in Linz. In: tips.at. September 29, 2019. Retrieved September 29, 2019 .