The Vida union, led by Roman Hebenstreit, is demanding full inflation compensation and real wage increases for 283,500 employees. Negotiations begin October 12 for 55,000 railway workers, followed by transport in November and 150,000 retail staff in December.
Economic data shows real wages fell 0.8 percent from 2019 to 2026, while inflation hit 3.6 percent in September. In 2025, 46 million unpaid overtime hours cost workers 2.5 billion euros. Meanwhile, the number of apprentices has dropped to just 95,057 nationally.
Labor shortages persist as 8,000 truck drivers are missing and Wiener Linien needs 5,000 new drivers. The union seeks to restrict Red-White-Red card immigration to sectors where wages significantly outpace inflation to protect local household income levels.