12-Hour Shifts and Unfair Wages: Massive Misconduct Uncovered in the Security Industry

The working conditions in the security industry are under criticism. According to an analysis by the Chamber of Labor (AK) Vienna and the union vida, employees in the security industry are often exposed to long working hours, incorrect payrolls, and insecure employment conditions.

"The safety for the people working in this area is not very high," says Gernot Kopp, head of the building management department at vida. Particularly problematic is that security personnel work up to five consecutive days, each with twelve-hour shifts – a practice classified as "highly risky."

Lack of Training and Problematic Schedules in the Security Industry

AK and vida therefore demand certified training and an end to solo shifts. "Security cannot be provided for free," emphasizes Bianca Schrittwieser, head of the labor law department at AK Vienna. The sector has been plagued by numerous grievances for years. An AK case analysis revealed that a large portion of the payrolls examined were incorrect. Overtime and bonuses are often not calculated correctly or not paid at all. Additionally, unlawfully ordered negative hours and short-term shift changes are common practice.

The union sees the strong price pressure in the industry as one of the main causes of the poor conditions. Employers save costs by deploying staff under difficult conditions and cutting back on training and personnel planning.

Market Dominated by Few Companies

More than half of the Austrian security market is accounted for by the four major providers G4S, Securitas, Siwacht, and ÖWD. All four have a works council, which often resolves labor law conflicts out of court. According to AK and vida, studies show that companies with a works council are economically more stable and better able to weather crises.

Overtime Not Paid, Termination During Sick Leave

Throughout Austria, around 12,700 people work in the security industry annually, with the number rising to up to 16,000 during major events. About 40 percent of the employees are women, and one-third of the security personnel working in Vienna do not have Austrian citizenship.

An analysis by AK Vienna of 400 cases from the period January 2023 to November 2024 shows alarming trends:

Particularly concerning is the handling of sick leave: Employees often face dismissal as early as the second sick leave – often informally, such as via WhatsApp.

Criticism of Reliability Checks and Subcontractors

Another issue is the inconsistent reliability checks for security personnel, which vary in duration from state to state. In some cases, even a simple traffic fine has led to the loss of reliability.

Particularly during the festival season, the use of subcontractors is problematic. It is often no longer clear which company security personnel actually work for. AK and vida therefore demand tougher penalties for wage dumping and stronger regulation of subcontractor chains.

WKÖ Rejects Criticism

The Chamber of Commerce reacted with dismay to the criticism from employee representatives. "The security industry has been making a valuable contribution to Austria's high security standards for years," it was emphasized. The security companies have "in recent years transformed into modern security service providers."

The company representatives made it clear in a statement: "There are legal requirements that all security companies must comply with. If market participants do not adhere to legal requirements and bring the industry into disrepute, all companies and their employees who act seriously and responsibly are clearly the ones harmed," said Hans-Georg Chwoyka, Federal Chairman of the Security Industry in the Austrian Chamber of Commerce (WKÖ).

Collective Agreement Between 2,122 and 2,787 Euros Gross

He advocates for a more objective discussion: The current minimum wage under the collective agreement in the security industry is between 2,122 and 2,787 euros gross, depending on the employment group. "The cross-industry ÖGB demand for a minimum wage of 2,000 euros under the collective agreement has thus already been significantly exceeded in the security industry," Chwoyka explained in response to the criticism from AK and vida. Currently, the weekly working hours in the industry are 40 hours per week or 48 hours in areas with on-call times.

(APA/Red)

This article has been automatically translated, read the original article here.