Open letter to Minister Hattmannsdorfer: "Stop fake news about the labour market – Where is your round table?"

In an open letter published today, Monday, June 22, 2026, vida chairman Roman Hebenstreit addresses Minister of Economic Affairs Wolfgang Hattmannsdorfer directly. The reason for this is the increasingly desperate situation of young people on the Austrian labour market, while at the same time politicians are pushing the import of labour via instruments such as the Red-White-Red Card. Roman Hebenstreit also reminds the Minister of an unfulfilled promise from the previous year: There has still been no invitation to the social partners to a round table with the Minister for an open and fact-based dialogue on the labour market.

The wording of the open letter:

Dear Federal Minister Hattmannsdorfer,

A recent report in the Online Standard of 21.6.2026 ("300 applications, zero responses: The frustration on the job market becomes a gag") paints a dramatic picture of the reality of our youth. While young, motivated people send hundreds of applications, are hosted by automated systems and despair of starting their careers, your ministry stubbornly adheres to a policy that promotes the state-forced and subsidized import of labor. This is a topsy-turvy world and a slap in the face for Austrian workers.

Minister, we are waiting until today!

The conjured up shortage of skilled workers is not the first information imbalance we have been confronted with. Last year, we already wrote an open letter to you with reference to proven false reports from the Chamber of Commerce (WKO) – of which you yourself were Secretary General for a short time. At that time, false figures on sick leave were instrumentalized to stir up sentiment against employees. They then announced an "open, fact-based dialogue" via OTS and invited to a round table to discuss alleged abuse.

We are still waiting for this round table and the fact-based dialogue! Instead, they rely on the principle of looking the other way, while the propaganda of the economy continues undisturbed.

Training instead of importing: An end to the low-wage strategy

This permanent flooding of the public with false information about the state of our labour market must finally come to an end. We do not have a general shortage of workers in Austria. We have a glaring lack of attractive working conditions and fair wages!

When companies are desperately looking for workers, there is a simple, market-based recipe: Let's create jobs that people can live on! It cannot and must not be the task of the state to minimise the entrepreneurial risk by bringing in ever cheaper labour from third countries by softening the Red-White-Red Card and increasing seasonal quotas. This depresses the wage level at home, takes away any pressure on companies to train young people themselves, and leaves our young people out in the cold with a "job search depression". An economy that no longer wants to integrate its own youth is gambling away its future.

Minister, put an end to the social ghost ride. Keep your promise and invite the social partners to the table – for an honest dialogue about the real problems: unpaid overtime, wage theft, lack of training and fair wages. The workers and youth of this country have earned it.

With trade union greetings,
Roman Hebenstreit
Chairman of the trade union vida