Second all-day strike in the Order Hospitals of Upper Austria on March 3

On Tuesday, March 3, 2026, the employees of the Upper Austrian Order Hospitals will again go on strike for the whole day from 5:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. After six rounds of collective bargaining negotiations, there is still no acceptable offer from the employers. There is hardly any movement, especially when it comes to the urgently needed reduction in working hours.

With the second strike, the pressure is not only directed at the employers, but also at politicians. The province of Upper Austria finances the order hospitals to a large extent. In particular, Health Minister LH-Stv.in Christine Haberlander is now called upon to take responsibility and pave the way for a solution.

Strike as a signal for relief and security of supply

The employees make it clear: It is not only about better working conditions, but also about the long-term security of health care in Upper Austria. Beds are already blocked in many houses - due to a lack of staff.

The all-day strike is therefore a clear signal: without noticeable relief through a real reduction in working hours, the situation will continue to worsen.

Criticism of strike planning in individual hospitals

In several religious hospitals, employees report that their willingness to strike is not taken seriously. This is particularly clear in the example of the Sisters of Mercy in Linz.

"We have informed our doctors and our management in good time that our team will be on strike on Tuesday and that admissions planned for the duration of the strike will therefore have to be postponed. Anything else would be irresponsible towards the patients. Of course, we care for acute cases," say the nurses of one ward.

According to the current status, the hospital still wants to maintain the full ward with only a fraction of the staff.

"This behavior is incomprehensible to us and certainly not in the interest of the patients. On our ward, as well as in the whole house, beds have been blocked for a long time anyway - due to a lack of staff! We want that to finally change, which is why we are on strike on Tuesday. We expect that recordings planned accordingly will be postponed and that we will be able to exercise our right to strike," the workers stress.

In addition, employees report threats and intimidation. "In view of reported threats and intimidation, we are surprised at the harshness and brutality with which employers are acting against their own employees," says those affected.

Public strike meetings – media invited

The strike will take place at all eight locations of the religious hospitals in Upper Austria and will last the entire day. In Linz, Wels and Grieskirchen, public strike meetings will also be held.

Media representatives are cordially invited. Interviews with workers and union representatives are possible both before and after the meetings.