The insurance industry: Collective bargaining negotiations
28 June 2005 saw the completion of the collective bargaining negotiations between the Austrian Insurance Association (VVO) and the Private-Sector Employees’ Trade Union.
This time, too, the positive discussion climate between the negotiating partners led to rapid results which satisfied both parties. For the around 26,500 permanent staff members working in and outside insurers’ offices the following improvements were agreed:
Employees with office duties
The most important change in the collective bargaining agreement for office workers is an optimization of the regulations governing part-time work within the legislation covering maternity and paternity leave. Representatives of the employers and employees today agreed that parents who have been with a company for 12 months are entitled to work part-time (N.B.: the law grants this entitlement only after 36 months).
In addition, for the first time a regulation concerning tele-working was incorporated into the collective bargaining agreement, constituting a major step towards increasing the flexibility in the modern working world.
An expert group was set up to adapt the collective bargaining agreement for office workers to the changes in the pension laws.
The increase to the salary base for 2005 was already agreed during last year’s collective bargaining negotiations and was 0.35% above the inflation rate for 2004 (2.45%).
Employees working in field services
Here, an increase of the average minimum salary amounting to 2.65% was agreed. Furthermore, it was mutually agreed that the sum saved for advertising costs should be increased to € 36.40.
In addition, representatives of the employers and employees agreed that even during low-income months employees should receive a minimum income as a salary advance without having to wait for the annual settlements.
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