Ursula Hafner elected as the new FCG Federal Women's Chair

2023-04-18 18:20:16

After 13 successful years, Monika Gabriel is handing over the chair at the top of the FCG women in the spirit of Austrian employees

Vienna (OTS) – At the 19th Federal FCG Women’s Congress, which took place on April 18, 2023 under the motto “Balance.Macht.Sinn” in the run-up to the ÖGB Women’s Congress, Mag.a Ursula Hafner received an impressive approval of 98 .6% of the votes of the delegates elected the new federal women’s chairwoman of the Christian trade unionists group in the ÖGB.

Her deputies Karin Zeisel (GPA), Claudia Biegler (GÖD), Elisabeth Planinger (Younion) and Maria Klima (GPF) were also elected for the next five years with overwhelming results.

Numerous guests of honor accepted the invitation to the FCG Women’s Congress, which began with a panel discussion featuring prominent figures. The Federal Minister for Women and Integration MMag.a Dr.in Susanne Raab, ÖVP club chairman Abg. e.g. NR August Wöginger, Abg. e.g. NR Mag.a Romana Deckenbacher, Abg. e.g. NR MMMag.a Gertraud Salzmann and the FCG Federal Chairman, ÖGB Vice President and Chairman of the Public Service Union (GÖD) Dr. Norbert Schnedl discussed, among other things, the extent to which women’s politics has changed in the context of the intense crisis of recent years.

The new chairwoman Ursula Hafner thanked the delegates for the great trust placed in her and her deputies with this election result and promises full of optimism: “We have managed to implement many of our 38 demands from the previous federal congress in 2018 and we will not let up also to realize the open and new demand points”. In addition, she affirmed in her speech:
“Equality, equal treatment, appreciation, fairness in work and private life must be a matter of course. From this we draw physical and mental strength for the many new challenges of the future – in accordance with our long-standing motto “Balance.Macht.Sinn”.

The previous federal women’s chairwoman Monika Gabriel was dismissed with standing ovations and was elected honorary chairwoman of the FCG women by the delegates. In her speech, she looked back on a unique track record and thanked the many officials of the FCG women for their “voluntary commitment and tireless commitment over the many years of joint trade union activity”.

In her opening statement, Federal Minister MMag.a Dr. Susanne Raab thanked the FCG women for their support, who had always served her as role models in her professional life and encouraged her. She listed numerous women’s and family policy achievements that the federal government was able to achieve in the current legislative period, such as the valorization of family benefits, a budget increase for violence protection centers and the expansion of childcare places. Finally, she looked forward to working with Ursula Hafner and her team in the future.

ÖVP club chairman abg. e.g. NR August Wöginger paid his “respect and greatest appreciation” to the outgoing chairwoman Monika Gabriel. You have taken the “Christian-social women’s policy a big step forward”, for which he thanked him very warmly. In the direction of the new chairwoman Ursula Hafner, he is confident that she will “continue to successfully advance the concerns of the FCG women”.

FCG Federal Chairman and ÖGB Vice President Dr. Norbert Schnedl thanked the long-time chairman Monika Gabriel for the “extraordinary services to the FCG women and the parliamentary group as a whole”. He wished the new FCG Federal Women’s President Ursula Hafner and her team “all the best and much success in the coming challenges”.

In the last term of office since the FCG Women’s Congress in April 2018, a lot has been achieved under the long-standing FCG Federal Women’s Chairwoman Monika Gabriel and her successor Ursula Hafner. The value adjustment of all family benefits, the expansion of high-quality childcare options and the increase in care leave are particularly noteworthy to 3 months and the Austria-wide expansion of acute interventions in cases of violence against women and children.

The FCG women’s current program of demands is available on our FCG website at www.fcg.at.