KV chemical industry: No agreement in the 2nd round

2024-04-16 13:06:08

Vienna (OTS) – No agreement could be reached in the second round of negotiations for the chemical industry’s collective agreement that took place today. The industry in Austria is facing a challenging situation: a weak order situation is combined with high inflation, which is well above the EU average. This represents a challenge that is difficult to overcome, especially for a heavily export-oriented industry that faces fierce international competition.

“After a production decline of over 10 percent in 2023, we unfortunately still see no light at the end of the tunnel,” says Berthold Stöger, negotiator for employers in the chemical industry, describing the persistently poor order situation in this sector.

This exceptionally difficult initial situation must be taken into account in this year’s negotiations in order to be able to reach a compromise that is viable for the industry.

“We appeal to our social partners’ sense of responsibility for Austria as a location and to their flexibility so that the competitiveness of the chemical industry and thus around 50,000 jobs can be secured,” concluded Berthold Stöger.

Negotiations will continue on Tuesday, April 23rd.

About the FCIO:

The Austrian Chemical Industry Association (FCIO) is the legal representation of the interests of the chemical industry in Austria. The approximately 240 member companies produce pharmaceuticals, plastics and plastic products, fibers, paints, fertilizers and organic and inorganic chemicals in various sectors. The industry’s almost 50,000 employees produced goods worth over 20.8 billion euros in 2022. The FCIO is committed to an economically, ecologically and socially sustainable and attractive chemical location in Austria with a research and technology-friendly environment in which the chemical industry can use its innovative strength to develop and deliver solutions to key social challenges. www.fcio.at