"Not on our backs!" – vida campaign for fair wages in the hotel and catering industry

The central demand: full inflation compensation, real wage increases and fair working conditions instead of real wage losses.

The collective bargaining negotiations for employees in the Austrian hotel and catering industry are deadlocked. The Austrian Federal Economic Chamber (WKÖ) refuses to fully compensate employees in the lowest wage groups for inflation and has recently unilaterally declared the negotiations to be over.

With a trade union action on 16 July 2026 at Vienna's Lancplatz, the trade union vida made it clear: The economic success of Austrian tourism must not be based on low wages and worse living conditions for employees.

Tourism records must not be at the expense of employees

"Not like that! The records in domestic tourism must not be achieved on the backs of employees. Our tourism must not be built on poverty wages," explained Eva Eberhart, chairwoman of the tourism department in the trade union vida and head of the collective bargaining negotiations.

For the union, one thing is certain: a new tourism collective agreement must not lead to any loss of real wages. The employers' offer for apprentices also remains below the inflation rate.

"If you want to attract and retain skilled workers, you have to invest in training. In any case, this KV offer from the WKÖ will not alleviate the shortage of skilled workers," Eberhart emphasized.

vida calls for return to the negotiating table

The Chamber of Commerce's offer is below the rolling inflation rate of 3.6 percent. From the union's point of view, such an agreement would mean a further loss of purchasing power for the employees.

"We are ready to negotiate and call on the WKÖ to return to the negotiating table. The employees are waiting for their well-deserved wage increases," said Yvonne Rychly, regional women's chairwoman of vida Vienna, at the action.

The union is therefore calling for an agreement that fully takes inflation into account and protects low incomes in particular.

1,645 euros net is less and less enough to live on

Employees in the lowest wage group in tourism currently earn only around 1,645 euros net per month with a full-time employment of 40 hours. At the same time, the costs of housing, food, energy and mobility have risen sharply.

"We cannot agree to a collective agreement that makes people with already low incomes even poorer," Eberhart clarified.

Employees need real wage increases instead of a reduction in their purchasing power. Otherwise, the staff shortage in the hotel and catering industry threatens to worsen further. Many employees are already leaving the industry because income and working conditions do not keep pace with the stresses of the profession.

Without employees, tourism comes to a standstill

At the creative vida action at Lancplatz, around 300 employees and trade unionists staged the work on which tourism is actually based. A "human table" made it visible: Without cook, waiter, cleaners, receptionist and many other employees, no hotel and no restaurant can function.

Even with suitcases, the participants sent an unmistakable message to the employers: Anyone who is not paid fairly and treated respectfully will leave the industry.

The trade union vida therefore stands by its demand: The WKÖ must end its blockade stance, return to the negotiating table and agree to a fair collective agreement without real wage losses.