ÖGB Chief Katzian Wants 2.7 Percent More Pension for the Majority of Pensioners

What he means by the "majority of pensioners", ÖGB Chief Katzian did not want to "definitely say" in the Ö1 "Journal zu Gast". He has submitted this to the relevant authorities. A tiered adjustment depending on the pension amount has always been made in recent years - Katzian does not rule this out this year either, given the budgetary situation.

ÖGB Chief Katzian: Two Percent More Pension for Everyone Will Not Work

Chancellor Christian Stocker (ÖVP) recently considered an increase below 2.7 percent as the "right signal" and spoke of a target value of two percent. Katzian cannot imagine generally "going through" with two percent. If someone wants to increase pensions by less than the statutory adjustment factor, they need a parliamentary majority for it. "It won't be that easy." He also wishes "good luck" with the negotiations with the pensioners' representatives.

Other SPÖ representatives have expressed similar views in recent days. They have more or less specifically insisted on the full pension adjustment for small or medium pensions and referred to negotiations on this. Criticism came from the FPÖ: "This means nothing other than that the SPÖ wants to give the ÖVP a 'leg up' on the ice-cold pension cuts," said social spokesperson Dagmar Belakowitsch in a statement. "The comrades are betraying the pensioners and all Austrians for power and positions and are now making them pay the price for it."

The chairwoman of the Pension Security Commission, Christine Mayrhuber, stated in the "Mittagsjournal" that full inflation compensation for low pensions is necessary. "Whether higher pensions are adjusted is an option that has been taken relatively often in the past 25 years." From a budgetary policy perspective, however, it is a possible measure not to grant full compensation above a certain pension level. At the same time, the WIFO economist pointed out that the consumer price index used for the adjustment factor does not accurately reflect the price developments for pensioner households. The latter differ from the consumption patterns of working households - pensioners have lower expenses for transport and leisure, but higher for health, services, and food.

Unpacking the Civil Servants' Agreement "Very Difficult" for ÖGB Chief Katzian

Unpacking the civil servants' salary agreement is "very difficult" for Katzian. "When a contract is concluded and signed or secured by law, I generally say: 'What is set, stays set'." However, he is not the government's negotiating partner, he referred to GÖD and younion.

(APA/Red)

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