Get organized – solidarity is more than just a nice word!

For three decades, Markus Simböck has been campaigning for better working conditions in the health and care sector. His recipe for success: listening, participating and organizing together. In this episode of our podcast "vidaHören", the Chairman of the Works Council of St. Josef Braunau Hospital talks about his path from mechanical engineering to nursing, 30 years of commitment to employees and his conviction that solidarity is much more than a nice word.

This is what you can expect in this podcast episode

•  Why Markus Simböck switched from mechanical engineering to nursing.
• What has driven him as a works council member for 30 years.
  
• How the world of work in hospitals has changed.
• Why organizing is the future of trade union work for him.
• What experiences employees have had during the collective bargaining negotiations and the strike measures in the Upper Austrian order hospitals.
• Which is why trust, co-determination and cohesion are crucial to achieving improvements.

Man instead of machine

When Markus Simböck switched from mechanical engineering to nursing more than 30 years ago, he followed his calling. "I missed the people," he says with a smile. After an injury and several weeks of medical treatment, it was clear to him that he no longer wanted to work on machines, but with people. Markus Simböck has been a member of the works council at St. Josef Braunau Hospital since 1996. That he would stand up for his colleagues was almost predetermined. His parents were already active in the works council. Nevertheless, it took courage to take on responsibility in employee representation. He has not lost this courage to this day. Anyone who talks to Markus Simböck quickly realises what drives him: solidarity, cohesion and genuine interest in people. "How are you really?" is not just a question for him, but an attitude.

The power of the many

A lot has changed in three decades of works council work. The world of work has become faster and more complex. Employees are coming under increasing pressure. This is exactly why strong works councils and strong trade unions are needed, says Markus Simböck. He wrote a special chapter in his career in the past collective agreement negotiations of the Upper Austrian religious hospitals. Together with many committed colleagues and "his" vida, he relied on organizing – an approach in which the employees themselves are the driving force. Not a few decide for many, but many decide together.

Employees have their say

The path was not always easy. There was resistance, uncertainties and fears. Some employees even feared for their jobs if they were publicly involved. This made trust work all the more important. "Trust us, we will get the best out of it together," was the message. After intensive negotiations, numerous actions and two days of strikes, the negotiating team finally fought for a collective agreement. Even more important than the result itself for Markus Simböck was the experience of the power that arises when people act together.

The future is ours

After 30 years of work on the works council, Markus Simböck is still looking ahead. His goal is to further develop the organizing structures that have been established and to involve even more colleagues. Because the times when a few decide for everyone are over. "We have to build up countervailing power so that we get what we are entitled to," he says. What drives him after all these years? The conviction that solidarity is much more than a nice word. It arises where people listen to each other, act together and stand up for each other. Or, as Markus Simböck would put it: "Get organized!"