Violence in the workplace: vida calls for clear legal measures instead of symbolic politics

Violence, hatred and bullying in the workplace are on the rise – and with them the pressure on politicians and employers to finally take effective countermeasures. At the violence prevention conference "Tatort Arbeitsplatz" in Vienna, the trade union vida made it clear: voluntariness is no longer enough. Legally anchored measures are needed that actually protect employees.

"Statistics show a lot - but they do not show the suffering of those affected," emphasized Roman Hebenstreit, chairman of the trade union vida, at the opening of the conference. The reality in many industries has long been alarming.

No more appeals: Legal rules instead of nice posters

Information and sensitization are important - but far from sufficient.

vida's demand:
Binding legal measures to protect against violence

These include, for example:

• Mandatory prevention concepts in companies
• Clear rules to protect employees
• Consequences for companies that do not take action

A central lever: public contracts. In the future, these will only be awarded to companies that can demonstrate functioning violence protection and prevention concepts.

Public procurement as a means of exerting pressure for better working conditions

The union sees public procurement law as an effective instrument. Those who receive public money must also take responsibility.

A concrete example from practice:

• In public transport, it could be stipulated by law that employees are no longer allowed to work alone
• One-person occupations could thus be a thing of the past

This would not only increase safety, but also reduce the workload.

Cheapest bidder principle promotes uncertainty

vida is particularly critical of the situation in the security industry. There, the so-called cheapest bidder principle often dominates – with problematic consequences.

"If price is the only criterion, quality suffers - and in the end safety," is the criticism.

The consequences are serious:

• Inadequately trained staff
• Excessive demands and endangerment of employees
• In some cases, even the use of minors in security-related tasks

Here, the union demands clear quality criteria instead of price dumping.

Violence is a problem across industries

The conference made it clear that violence in the workplace affects many areas – from transport and security services to care and tourism.

vida sees a need to catch up especially in tourism:

• Missing or inadequate prevention concepts
• High workload with low protection at the same time

Structural solutions are also needed in the care sector. A uniform staffing ratio throughout Austria could help to relieve employees and enable mutual protection.

Violence prevention needs structure – not just good intentions

The violence prevention conference "Crime Scene Workplace – NED with Us!" shows that there is knowledge, strategies and examples that work. But without political implementation, many of these approaches will remain ineffective.

Violence in the workplace has far-reaching consequences:

• Mental and physical stress
• Deteriorated working atmosphere
• Decreasing performance

The trade union vida puts it in a nutshell:

Violence has many faces – and therefore needs many, but above all binding solutions.

Security is not a nice-to-have

Whether on the train, in the hospital or in the security service – employees have a right to safe working conditions.

Anyone who continues to rely on voluntariness here ignores the reality of many employees. Or to put it another way: A "Please be nice to each other" does not protect anyone from violence

More protection. More staff. More responsibility – legally secured.