The officially submitted its 2027 collective bargaining demands at the in Vienna on Thursday morning. Chief negotiator Linda Keizer is seeking a 3.8 percent salary increase for 420,000 retail employees and 19,000 apprentices.
Key demands include a mandatory five-day week, overtime surcharges from the first hour, and shift-coverage allowances. The union also wants the sixth week of vacation to be reachable earlier. Employer negotiator Rainer Trefelik called the raise unfeasible.
The talks occur as the retail sector has lost jobs since 2023. While inflation is projected at 2.6 to 2.8 percent for 2027, WIFO and IHS forecast modest GDP growth of 1.0 to 1.3 percent. These negotiations will determine the future of 's largest sector.