About vida

Who we are

No trade union in Austria is as colourful and diverse as the transport and service trade union vida. We represent the interests of employees from over 100 nations and more than 75 occupational groups from apprenticeship to retirement.

We make history

Since its founding in 2006, vida has moved a lot:

2006 vida founding congress

At the end of 2006, the time had come: the transport and service union vida was brought to life. Three trade unions joined forces to form vida: Gewerkschaft der Eisenbahneren (GdE), Gewerkschaft Handel, Transport, Verkehr (HTV) and Gewerkschaft Hotel, Gastgewerbe, Persönliche Dienst (HGPD). The Spanish word "vida", which means "life" in German, stands for the professional groups at home in the union. They all provide a better quality of life. Rudolf Kaske was elected as the first vida chairman.

2007 1,000 Euro minimum wage

In 2007, the social partners signed an agreement on the gradual implementation of a minimum wage of 1,000 euros by 2009. As a result, the trade union vida has achieved the implementation of a minimum wage of 1,000 euros for all sectors for which there are currently collective agreements. This applies, for example, to taxi and rental car drivers, as well as to hairdressers.

2008 Fair Play at Work

The European Football Championship in June 2008 kept the trade union vida on its toes. Because around one hundred thousand employees from vida industries were on duty for the European Championships in Austria. In order to ensure fair working conditions, vida launched the "Fair Play at Work" campaign with the Austrian Trade Union Confederation (ÖGB). For individual sectors, such as retail workers, vida was able to negotiate its own special collective agreements .

2009 We do not renounce

On May 13, 2009, more than 25,000 people marched to the Chamber of Commerce. This is because the employers' side had made completely unacceptable offers during the collective agreement negotiations under the pretext of the crisis. After the impressive rally, acceptable collective bargaining agreements were reached in many vida industries.

2009 Crime Scene Workplace

Violence is omnipresent – even at work. For this reason, vida launched the initiative "Crime Scene Workplace. Don't give violence at work a chance!" . In addition to a wide range of information and services, vida has set things in motion on the political stage. For example, the criminal law was tightened for attacks on employees in public transport companies and in the health professions.

2010 2nd vida Trade Union Congress

In November 2010, the 2nd vida trade union congress took place. The event was opened by a "simple" member from Tyrol. It quickly became clear that the cabaret artist I STANGL was behind it. The critical journalist Robert Misik spoke about "neoliberal milkmaid calculations" and why strong trade unions are important. A separate model for wealth taxation was decided. And Rudolf Kaske was re-elected as vida chairman.

Even more history

2011 Fair welfare state

A good welfare state and good public services are important for the population. Taxes and social security contributions finance many state benefits. But not everyone makes fair contributions, which is why the welfare state comes under pressure again and again. The ÖGB therefore launched the initiative "Fair Improvement of the Welfare State" in 2011. vida has supported with its own campaign.

2011 Social Billion

Under the motto "Social work is worth more", more than 22,000 people signed our demand for a social billion – with success: in 2011, the German government created a highly endowed care fund .

2012 KV escape stopped at AUA

In 2012, the AUA management unilaterally terminated the collective agreement for flying personnel and carried out a legally questionable transfer of flight operations to the cheaper AUA subsidiary Tyrolean. The works council and the vida trade union went to court – with success.

2013 38.5-hour week on track

The reduction of weekly working hours from 40 to 38.5 hours for around 31,500 employees of the ÖBB Group companies in 2013 was one of the biggest changes since the Working Hours and Rest Periods Act came into force. For the employees, this means more leisure time and job security on track.

2014 First collective agreement for private spa and rehabilitation companies

In 2013, we concluded the first nationwide collective agreement for private health resorts and rehabilitation companies. This established uniform framework conditions, wages and salaries. Wage dumping and violations of labor law were thus stopped.

2014 3rd vida Trade Union Congress

In November 2014, the 3rd vida trade union congress took place. Right at the beginning, the works council was brought on stage. With a show that overshadowed everything, vida showed how diverse, determined and strong works councils are. On the second day, the globalization critic Jean Ziegler entered the trade union stage. At the center of the fundamental debate was the topic of distributive justice. On the third day, the new basic program was adopted and Gottfried Winkler was elected as the new vida chairman.

Even more history

2015 Fair Transport Europe

More than ten million people work in the transport sector throughout Europe. They all deserve fair and equally good working conditions. However, competition between states increases wage and social dumping. The trade unions do not put up with this and therefore launch the "Fair Transport Europe" campaign in 2015. With a European Citizens' Initiative, we are taking joint action against grievances.

2016 10 years of vida

Since vida was founded in 2006, we have been tirelessly trying to make the world of employees more social and fair. We fought for a lot, we achieved a lot. On November 16, 2016, we celebrated our 10th birthday.

2017 Income must come in

Women in Austria earn around a third less than their male colleagues. In 2017, the vida women drew attention to the concerns of female employees under the motto "Income must come in – right away!" around 8 March, International Women's Day.

2017 1,500 Euro minimum wage

"Many people go to work and are still poor. This is not worthy of a rich economy like Austria," criticized vida chairman Roman Hebenstreit at a press conference in January 2017 in Vienna. At the same time, the vida state chairmen also held press conferences. We have called on the Chamber of Commerce to start a special round of negotiations – with the aim of raising all collective agreements in the affected sectors to a minimum wage of 1,500 euros as quickly as possible. And already in the 1st half of the year, the goal was achieved in 20 collective agreements.

2017 Say Yes to the Railway in Red White Red

Millions of passengers use our red-white-red trains every day. In the summer of 2017, vida launched the initiative "Say Yes to the Railway in Red White Red" together with the Chamber of Commerce. Together we have campaigned for the preservation of the red-white-red railways. With success: the direct award will be retained. That's a good thing. Because without them, railway companies can bid in tenders from anywhere in the EU, and our collective agreements as well as our labour and social law would be in danger.

2018 The Youth Confidence Council remains

The Youth Confidence Council (JVR) has been in existence since 1973. He is there for the concerns of the apprentices in the company . The plans of the federal government to abolish the youth council brought the trade union movement to the barricades in 2018. At a large works council conference of vida, we made our displeasure known. The campaign #JVRbleibt with thousands of signatures was a complete success. The government has abandoned its plan to abolish the JVR.

2018 #vidaspruch – No to the 60-hour week!

The economy orders, the government delivers: a new working time law with an impact on our health, leisure time and income. In 2018, we are loudly calling for #vidaspruch . It's time to "vidaspeak" to the falsehoods spread by the government! More than 800 works councillors come to the big vida conference in June 2018, and a few days later more than 100,000 people demonstrate with us at Heldenplatz in Vienna against the new Working Hours Act.

2018 Hot collective bargaining negotiations

On 1 September 2018, the new Working Hours Act will come into force. A few days later, the ÖGB calls all collective bargaining teams to Vienna. More than 900 works councils agree on a common line. For example, the collective bargaining negotiations at the railways are heated. On November 26, 2018, all trains will be at a standstill. But the signs are also pointing to a strike in the Austrian social economy.

2019 No smoke in the tavern

Everything had already been decided – the general ban on smoking in restaurants should have taken place on 1 May 2018. But with the new government, everything turned out differently. vida has supported the "Don't smoke" referendum throughout Austria with the campaign "No smoke in the pub". 881,569 signatures are a clear sign of healthy workplaces. Our efforts have paid off: Since November 1, 2019, the smoking ban in restaurants has been in force.

2019 Social work is worth more

Nursing is emotional hard work. Employees in the Austrian social economy deserve fair wages and more time for recovery. Thousands of people will take to the streets with us on 29 January 2019. On February 12, the employees get serious: three-day warning strikes will take place at 250 locations. On 18. February, the time has come: We achieve a strong wage and salary increase, an extensive working time package and a 6th week of vacation.

2019 More from us. Better for everyone.

The staffing in hospitals no longer fits in with everyday work. Hectic, overload, even dangerous situations are increasingly the order of the day. The trade union vida and the Chamber of Labour are therefore launching the initiative "More from us. Better for all" and draw attention to the precarious staffing situation in Austria's hospitals with unusual campaigns.

2019 World's first collective agreement for bicycle messengers

With the boom in online food ordering portals, the number of bicycle delivery drivers in Austria has risen sharply. In 2019, we reached the world's first collective agreement for bicycle messengers and food delivery workers. This collective bargaining agreement laid the foundation for the protection of employees under labour and social law. The new collective agreement came into force on 1 January 2020.

2019 4th vida Trade Union Congress

"Who, if not us? Courageously into the future! Let's go for it! Keep fighting!" With these words, the newly elected vida chairman Roman Hebenstreit ended the 4th vida trade union congress, which took place in Vienna in November 2019. Together, the delegates deliberated, discussed and elected the future of vida. With the basic program, they set the goals for the next five years.

Even more history

2020: Strong through the Corona crisis

A virus will keep the whole world in suspense from 2020 onwards. The commitment of the trade union vida was more in demand than ever. For many people, the Corona crisis meant uncertainty, loss of income and even job loss. At the same time, many people have kept our country running with their work. We have been on duty for our members with information, protection and advice and have achieved a lot for them: from Corona short-time work, risk group regulations and Aktion #RettetDieRetter to paid mask breaks and Corona bonuses.

2021 Bonus for Corona Heroes

In 2021, we were strongly committed to helping all those left behind with the Corona bonus promised by the federal government. The employees in the health and social sector have all earned this financial appreciation - but not all of them are to receive the bonus. "We won't let ourselves be divided!" This was the tenor of Austria-wide protest rallies by affected employees in July 2021. In the run-up to the event, vida initiated, among other things, protest marches and an online petition, which was supported by over 12,000 people – with success.

2022 Prices Down!

In 2022, the exploding price increases will hit us hard. With the "prices down" campaign by the ÖGB and trade unions, we have called on the federal government to quickly take relief measures. At the "Prices down!" conference in June 2022, we presented our demands. On our "Prices Down" tour, we asked people where the "price shoe" pinches them. At the big "Prices down!" demo on September 7, 2022, over 30,000 people took to the streets with us.

2022 Wages up!

Because the relief measures of the federal government quickly fizzle out, we called on the Chamber of Commerce to hold special collective bargaining negotiations as recently as September 2022. This was followed by a "hot collective bargaining autumn" with works meetings, protest actions and even strikes. The "hot KV autumn" dragged on into spring 2023. During this time, we have achieved strong collective bargaining agreements with higher wages for many employees in vida industries.

2023 Future KV Tourism

The future belongs to the brave – this also applies to the world of work. In 2023, the vida trade union implemented the "Future KV Tourism" together with the JUFA companies. The JUFA company collective agreement brings employees higher starting wages, Sunday bonuses, the 6th week of vacation with 15 years of service and many other improvements compared to the industry collective agreement.

2023 In action for our railways

Our railways stand out throughout Europe with their quality, safety and punctuality . They secure over 50,000 jobs and are the locomotive for the mobility of the future. In order for our railways to become even better, we must set the course now: with investments for better connections and with a major job offensive. The trade union vida is campaigning for this with the Vienna Chamber of Labour.

2023 Human chain against inflation

Ahead of the autumn wage round, the ÖGB and trade unions have sent a strong signal against the ongoing inflation with a clear message to the federal government: "Stop inflation at last," demand thousands of participants with a five-kilometer human chain along the ban mile around the parliament in Vienna. The trade union vida was also represented with numerous hands.

2023 Hot KV Autumn

"More money instead of citizens" is what the trade union vida demands in a press conference at the start of the autumn wage rounds in vida industries. The title alluded to statements by Chancellor Nehammer, who had recommended hamburgers with fries at McDonalds as a cheap hot meal for children in a video against inflation. In the hot KV autumn, we achieved strong collective bargaining agreements, for example in the Austrian social economy, in cleaning, in security or also among retail workers.

2024 Hard labor struggles

vida's hot collective bargaining negotiations continued in spring 2024. There were tough negotiations and also hard fighting in some industries. With success: We have achieved good collective bargaining agreements and wage increases for many employees – for example, for employees at private hospitals and religious hospitals, for the flying staff of Austrian Airlines, for workers at airports, for hairdressers, cable car operators and employees in the hotel and catering industry. The first half of 2024 was particularly heated in the collective bargaining negotiations for bicycle messengers and workers in the freight forwarding and storage companies.

2024 We ride together

The climate crisis affects us all. Therefore, the motto is: Together for the climate. The trade union vida has launched the alliance "We Ride Together" with climate organisations. It is a merger of vida, Fridays For Future and System Change not Climate Change. Together, we are sending a strong signal for more climate protection through more public transport and better working conditions for employees. We presented a list of demands, organized protest actions and took part in the global climate strike, among other things.

2024 5th vida trade union congress is approaching

From 19 to 21 November 2024, the 5th vida Trade Union Congress will take place at the Austria Center Vienna in Vienna. Hundreds of vida delegates will meet. They deliberate, discuss and elect the future of our union. The course was already set in spring at the conferences of our departments and state conferences. Our common motto is "more vida".

Even more history