Collective agreement for retail workers: Trade union vida demands fair wage increases
Workers in commercial warehouses and transport are indispensable for supply. On 3.11., the collective bargaining negotiations for the industry started.
KV negotiation
On 3 November, the first round of collective agreements for workers in the retail sector took place. In view of the decisive function that retail workers play in the general supply, it should also be clear to employers in the industry that this service must be fairly remunerated.
Occupational field is unknown to many
"Everyone knows the retail chains, but hardly anyone knows the people who move their goods. But society would be lost without them."Gewerkschaft vida, Fachbereichsvorsitzende Dienstleistungen
Away from supermarket checkouts and shopping carts, 150,000 people work in logistics and transport for Austria's retail companies, such as Spar, Rewe and Lidl. They sort and transport goods, scan them into the system, put them in their place and make them ready for dispatch. This requires a lot of manual action, as well as accuracy, concentration, driving skills and also muscle power. However, this work often remains hidden from public perception.
Stressful conditions
"The employees in the trading warehouses and in transport work day and night - even on weekends - so that we are all supplied with products for daily use at all times," explains Christine Heitzinger, Chairwoman of the vida Services Department and Head of Negotiating for the vida trade union. "Their work has become denser and more automated in recent years – but not easier." The major challenges of the professional field include the cold in cold stores, high levels of dust, broken goods and dirt in disposal, a high risk of injury during stacking work and the stress in traffic that colleagues have to deal with in transport. All this must not only be made visible, but also financially compensated.
The demands on the part of the trade union vida for the collective bargaining negotiations are:
- Wage increases well above inflation of the last two years
- One additional day of vacation per year
- Higher night work bonuses
- An appropriate allowance for Sunday work
Five good reasons to become a member right now
- You strengthen the bargaining power – the more we are, the better the collective agreements.
- Legal protection and advice when things get serious.
- Co-determination in the company: You give weight to your voice.
- Continuing education and networking: Sharing knowledge, learning strategies, winning together.
- Solidarity that carries – even when things get uncomfortable.
Do you want negotiations to take place on an equal footing again – with results that reach your wallet?
