Before the Spring Wage Round: Increases Mostly Around Three Percent
However, in recent weeks, negotiations have been ongoing between the social partners, resulting in several agreements. Notably, two-year agreements are becoming more common, even though unions are less enthusiastic about them. As seen in the retail sector, the resurgent inflation could disrupt these 2-year deals.
In the garage, gas station, and service enterprises, incomes will rise by 3.7 percent, and from 2026, by 0.5 percent above the rolling inflation. However, if the rolling inflation rate exceeds 2.5 percent, collective bargaining negotiations for 2026 will be resumed in the fall of 2025. For context: in February, the inflation rate was 3.3 percent.
Poultry Industry Still Below 2,000 Euros Minimum Wage
In the poultry industry, the collectively agreed minimum wages will increase by 2.92 percent this year. The new minimum wage is 1,947.71 euros gross. Horticultural businesses in Upper Austria will pay 3.2 percent more. Apprentices' incomes will be increased by 3.9 percent. Confectioners in Vienna will receive a 2.9 percent increase in 2025, with the minimum wage now at 1,806 euros.
For dispatch workers, weekly wages will rise by 3.1 percent this year. The Federal Forests will increase collective agreement and actual salaries by 3.6 percent. At Saatbau Linz, there is a wage increase of 3.5 percent. At the Upper Austrian Machinery Ring, there is a collective agreement increase of 3.2 to 3.4 percent. The compound feed plants of Raiffeisen Ware Austria are offering a wage increase of 3.5 percent and a new minimum wage of 2,174 euros gross.
Significant Salary Increase at Asfinag
The road companies are adding as much as four percent, which also applies to apprentices. In the future, employees will receive a day off for their 10th, 20th, and 30th service anniversaries. If both parents work within the ASFINAG group, they can choose which parent will receive the child allowance. In newspaper printing (rotary printing), payments will increase by 3.1 percent.
In 2024, the average collectively agreed gross minimum wages, according to the Wage Index 16 (TLI 16) of Statistics Austria, increased by 8.5 percent compared to the previous year, thus exceeding the inflation rate (CPI) of 2023, which was 7.8 percent. "This is the highest increase in the past 25 years. The strongest increase was 9.4 percent among public employees," calculated Statistics Austria Director General Tobias Thomas at the beginning of this year.
Minimum Wages in 2024 Increased More Than Inflation
The increase for employees was 8.4 percent, and for workers, it was 8.3 percent. At the industry level, minimum wages rose the highest on average in the past two years with high inflation in mining and quarrying (18.1 percent), in public administration, defense; social security, and in real estate activities (each 17.8 percent). The lowest increase rate was in manufacturing (15.5 percent) and in arts, entertainment, and recreation (15.6 percent).
(APA/Red)
This article has been automatically translated, read the original article here.