SPÖ-Muchitsch on Kocher “press hour”: Government must reduce inflation instead of demanding wage restraint

2023-10-01 10:43:40

Kocher shares incredible Nehammer statements about wage restraint; Government refuses to take price-cutting measures and interferes in wage negotiations

Vienna (OTS) – “It is unbelievable that Kocher shares Nehammer’s statements about wage restraint and part-time work for women, which have outraged the entire population,” says SPÖ social spokesman Josef Muchitsch at today’s ORF press hour with Labor and Economics Minister Kocher and continues: “Kocher himself has largely responsible for the highest inflation rate in Western Europe. “To now shift the responsibility onto the employees and ask them to accept further cuts is irresponsible and proves the federal government’s lack of empathy for the reality of life of the hard-working people in the country.”

Domestic inflation is still far too high and the gap to the Eurozone is 40 percent. Austria has the highest inflation in Western Europe and the government keeps us stable in last place while at the same time unemployment is rising and economic output is falling. Muchitsch said: “Prices are rising and the government has been watching for months, only to now demand wage restraint given this rate of inflation, that is unbelievable! Prices down, wages up, that’s what people expect now!”

Above all, the government seems to have the goal of glossing over its own failures and mistakes. “Although she should know better, she continues to speak out against price interventions – although the European comparison shows that those countries that have intervened in prices have been able to reduce the inflation rate, such as Belgium with an inflation rate of 2.4% can be seen,” says Muchitsch in conclusion.