Josef Fiedler: Next stop Pension

Josef Fiedler loves his railways and his union. He has been loyal to both of them for 45 years. In 1979, he began an apprenticeship as a telecommunications technician at ÖBB. At that time, he immediately joined the union. "That was a matter of course for me!"

45 years as a union member

His father already worked for ÖBB for 35 years, "in shunting," says Josef Fiedler. He taught him at a young age "that it is important to have good employee representation where you always get support," the railway worker looks back. Over the past 45 years, the union has always accompanied him. "And I haven't regretted it for a single day." When Josef Fiedler began his apprenticeship at the end of the 70s, everything was analogue. "Today, everything is digital. For example, who still knows a dial?" he asks with a smile. With the new technologies, the world of work has changed rapidly. "It has become difficult for many to keep up," Josef Fiedler reports.

Well maintained and networked

After completing his apprenticeship, Josef Fiedler worked in the telecommunications route management of the ÖBB in Vienna. In the mid-80s, he went to the route to St. Pölten. There is often more technology behind it than you think. Mobile phone masts, information systems and other electronic devices require constant attention. Josef Fiedler's next stop was his home town of Amstetten, where he completed his service until 2000. "And as it is in life, you need a change every now and then. So I commuted back to Vienna and worked in shifts in the field of fault clearance management," he looks back.

Great forces, strong drive

As a dispatcher, Josef Fiedler led a team of 30 people. Fair cooperation has always been important to him. That was also his motivation to become a works councillor. From 1997 to 2005, he worked as a confidant. Due to the break-up of ÖBB into several sub-companies, works council committees were elected for the first time in 2005. "Of course, I was immediately on fire and on board," says Josef Fiedler with shining eyes. In the time of great upheaval, he wanted to play an active role in securing the rights of the workforce in the best possible way. Since then, he has been there for the concerns of his colleagues as a works council member in a wide variety of functions. Whether it's business transfers, collective bargaining agreement changes, organizational changes, there were many major challenges for Josef Fiedler. "The most important thing for me has always been to stand by my colleagues and make sure that they don't fall by the wayside."

Trade unions always work

Josef Fiedler was always supported by "his" union, not only in his work as a works councillor, but also as an employee. "You may not always notice it, but when I look at the many good salary agreements that the union has fought for all of us, it is not possible without it," emphasizes the ÖBB employee. In recent decades, there have been many changes at "his" ÖBB. It was the plans of the black-blue government under Chancellor Wolfgang Schüssel – partial privatisation of the ÖBB and encroachment on employment law – that brought the union onto the scene in 2003. "The fact that I am still subject to my old employment law is thanks to the big 66-hour strike. If the union hadn't existed back then, who knows how it would have ended." For Josef Fiedler, one thing is clear: the more people are involved, the more the union can achieve.

The course has been set

At some point, Josef Fiedler will also have to say goodbye, even if it is difficult for him. "If you have spent three quarters of your life with ÖBB, it naturally leaves its mark. I leave with one laughing and one crying eye. Because I have made many friends for life in the last 45 years." In January 2026, the time has come, when a new phase of life will start for Josef Fiedler. He already set the course last year. "It is very important to me that the young people gain a foothold in the works council. In the election in May, I handed over the chairmanship to a younger colleague. Now I can retire with a good feeling," he looks confidently into the future. For Josef Fiedler, one thing is certain: "I will remain a union member! Because even in retirement, my vida is there for me!"