From pushback driver to works council chairman

For Thomas Faulhuber, Vienna Airport is "a city in itself". More than 50,000 people work here, around 6,000 of them directly at Flughafen Wien AG. In his field, he represents about 2,000 workers – from cleaning to workshops to aircraft handling. Work is carried out around the clock, 365 days a year. The requirements have increased significantly in recent years, says the Lower Austrian: "When I started here in the 90s, we had around seven million passengers – today there are over 32 million." Although some activities have become physically easier, the overall strain has remained high.

Not a straight path – but the right one

His career path is anything but straightforward. In the 80s, Thomas Faulhuber completed an apprenticeship as a body construction technician. This was followed by stations in the Austrian Armed Forces, in car sales and at the ÖBB as a track supervisor - and he even worked as a petrol station owner. In 1997, his career finally began at Vienna Airport. "It was like another world," he recalls. He started as an aircraft loader and worked his way up step by step to become a pushback driver. Aircraft are pushed back from the gate with tractors weighing tons. "That's exactly my thing," he says – but it didn't stop there.

Making better together

"I thought to myself: I can do better." With this claim, Thomas Faulhuber went to the works council. He has been chairman since 2013. His goal: not just talking, but making concrete changes. In the past, a lot of things were left undone, cooperation was difficult. Today, the works council relies on clear communication and cohesion: "People come together through talking." What drives him? The colleagues – and the aspiration to noticeably improve their working conditions.

When it matters

The biggest challenge for Thomas Faulhuber? "Clearly the Corona pandemic. That was the hardest time." Existential fears, short-time work, countless calls – the works council became the central point of contact for worries and questions. At the same time, it was possible to prevent redundancies and maintain operations. "We have kept Austria running," he says – for example by handling important deliveries. His most important insight from this time: Nothing works without cohesion.

A fight that pays off

Success doesn't come by itself – it's the result of hard, consistent work. Together with his team, Thomas Faulhuber has achieved a lot in recent years: strong collective agreements and the sixth week of vacation from the first day of work for everyone. "This is anything but a matter of course - on the contrary: it is unique in Austria," he says with a smile. For him, one thing is clear: good working conditions do not fall from the sky. "Every day is a struggle – but one that is worth it."