Conference Report: How Does Value Get Into Work?

The value of work and performance is the subject of public discourse and, last but not least, a gender issue. At the conference "How does value get into work?", international experts also put economic, philosophical, sociological and political approaches in relation to each other. In order to make the working society more gender-equitable and sustainable, the value of work must be reassessed, according to the most important finding from the event.

vida: Successful collective bargaining negotiations

On the basis of the most recent collective agreements concluded by the trade union vida, Olivia Janisch, vida Federal Women's Chairwoman and Deputy Chairwoman of the Federal Women's Association, explained at the conference vida chairwoman explained how it was possible to successfully contribute to the end of the gender pay gap, i.e. the existing income gap between the sexes. Many service professions, mainly workers, such as health and care professions, hairdressers, beauticians, tourism professions, but also cleaning, trade or building management professions are organised in vida. What these industries have in common is that they have a high proportion of women, and many women only work part-time or in marginal employment. For example, 16,000 women work in the area of 18,500 employed hairdressers and beauticians. In the cleaning and building management sector, the proportion of women among almost 74,000 employees is around 50 percent. 8,400 of these women are only marginally employed. Following the example of the railway collective bargaining negotiations, the union switched to demanding monthly fixed amounts from the employers as a wage increase instead of a percentage value during the collective bargaining negotiations in autumn 2022. For example, in the health sector at the religious hospitals or the private hospitals, it was successful and fixed amounts for the employees could be achieved, Janisch discussed.

"The aim is that with this strategy, even more low-income earners and thus many more women should benefit from fixed amounts as a wage increase."

Olivia Janisch, vida Women's Chairwoman

Higher wages for those who need them

This had the advantage that the KV increases in the lower and middle income brackets were significantly higher than in the upper wage categories. Ultimately, many low-income earners and women benefited from this due to the system. "In view of the record inflation, this was also necessary. In addition to the inflation compensation, we were also able to achieve strong real wage increases in all sectors for those people who urgently needed it because of the high prices," Janisch affirmed. The ÖGB's 2,000 euro gross minimum wage demand for all sectors has also helped. "The aim is that with this strategy, even more low-income earners and thus many more women should benefit from fixed amounts as a wage increase," said the vida Federal Women's Chairwoman with regard to upcoming autumn wage rounds.