Staff shortage at the railways

The Austrian railway industry is facing a serious challenge: the acute shortage of personnel. Increasing passenger numbers and the growing acceptance of the climate ticket are encouraging developments. However, if there is a lack of qualified employees to meet the increasing demand, this has an impact on the punctuality and reliability of the trains. Worse still, labour shortages are jeopardising the safety and efficiency of railway infrastructure. A major point of criticism is the planning errors in the management of the Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB). Despite full capacity utilisation of all training places, capacities were not increased in time. The staff shortage was therefore foreseeable. More financial resources are needed for training in railway professions in order to support the mobility turnaround and make public transport more attractive. 

 "ÖBB has fallen into a safety-relevant crisis due to the lack of qualified personnel."

Gerhard Tauchner, Chairman of the vida Railway Department

Better working conditions instead of shortage occupations list 

On the part of ÖBB, there have always been contradictory statements on the subject of staff shortages. While the railway company denies the shortage of personnel on the one hand, railway professions such as train attendants, dispatchers and train drivers are on the federal government's shortage list of occupations. This raises the question of how a need for personnel can exist without a recognized shortage of personnel. 

"ÖBB is basically an exemplary and good employer, which should therefore not find it difficult to find enough staff," says Gerhard Tauchner, chairman of the vida railway department, on the subject. "If this is not the case, working conditions and pay must be further improved in order to find enough workers on the domestic or European market," Tauchner continues. To search for the shortage occupation list in third countries and thus to recruit wage-depressing and cheaper employees from every country in the world is a shift in the problem. The employer is thus also relieving itself of its responsibility to inspire job seekers in Austria and Europe to train at ÖBB.

As far as the shortage of train drivers is concerned, the trade union vida is calling for a reassessment of the occupational classification of train drivers, as well as an improvement in working conditions and salaries. In addition, national supervisory authorities such as Schienen-Control and the Transport Labour Inspectorate must be better equipped to ensure safe and efficient operation. Forcing train drivers to work more flexibly on the part of employers could fuel the staffing crisis, as there is a risk that there could be further staff departures and lower numbers of applications in the long term. "It is crucial to ensure that the rights of train drivers are upheld and that ÖBB takes measures to end the staffing crisis so that a safe and efficient railway infrastructure can be maintained," emphasizes Tauchner.

Future prospects

In order to combat the shortage of staff in the long term, railway companies such as ÖBB must not only improve their training and working conditions, but also take advantage of targeted funding models and state support. This is the only way to increase the attractiveness of railway professions and secure the next generation. The Austrian railway industry is at a crossroads. Without rapid and decisive measures, the shortage of staff threatens to slow down the positive developments in public transport and jeopardise the desired mobility turnaround. It is up to politicians and companies to take the necessary steps to ensure a sustainable and safe future on the rails.