In Austria, women in particular work part-time more often than average, this is a well-known fact. ÖVP Labor Minister Martin Kocher recently set off a firestorm of reaction after he loudly considered cutting social spending for part-time workers.
There are many reasons for part-time employment, but there are different things you can do to change the situation, according to Knill. “We need a paradigm shift in the job market,” he said at “press hour” on Sunday. A few years ago, unemployment was still the dominant issue, which is why a part-time job was attractive to many.
But now the situation is completely different: companies are desperately looking for employees, there are more than 200,000 vacancies. At the same time, according to Knill, not all of the potential is currently being exploited. The question now is how to create “voluntary incentive systems”.
Turn the control screws
Currently, Knill sees full-time employees as being at a tax disadvantage, but the move to full-time has had to pay off financially. Older workers are also willing to work beyond retirement age “in certain cases”, but they are also at a disadvantage in terms of taxation.
Daycare is also a key to pushing full-time. It does not matter which party governs in municipalities and cities. “We urgently need national expansion,” says Knill. Investments in quality early childhood education are an essential factor for the location of the business, each euro invested in early childhood education yields eight times.
“Press hour” with IV President Georg Knill
Georg Knill, President of the Federation of Industrialists, answered questions from Johanna Hager (“Kurier”) and Christoph Varga (ORF).
Workers “go missing”
Making the part-time less attractive, as Kocher suggested, was not Knill’s support: “We want reward, not punishment,” he said. Qualified immigration is also a foundation, due to demographic development “we will lack people”.
debate
Full-time, part-time, free time: how much work does it need to be?
That could be over 500,000 workers in the next few years. Knill therefore saw the increase in the number of red-white-red cards over the previous year as a positive. In countries where there is labor potential for Austria, this also requires active localization marketing.
Far from the “comprehensive insurance mentality”
Knill lamented that there was no European solution in terms of energy aid. Each country has developed different models individually. Last year, many of the subsidies were not diverted by companies. The head of IV did not want to talk about overfunding. However, he estimated that the Energy Cost Subsidy II will also not be fully effective. The price of gas dropped again, companies would no longer find themselves in a situation where the energy market no longer works.
The volume of economic aid was high – also in view of a European subsidy race – but necessary. After state aid, first during the pandemic and then the energy crisis, we now need to reduce state funds again, according to Knill. You have to move away from a “comprehensive insurance mentality” and back to more personal responsibility. IV is not exempt from this, according to Knill. “We also have to take each other by the hand.” The state must be pushed back to its original activities and become leaner.
Knill also saw problems competing with the United States in Europe. Currently, there is “a dangerous combination” of push effects in Europe – such as high energy costs and a lot of bureaucracy – and pull forces in the US, which has put together a $33 billion investment stimulus package. He called on the EU to follow suit soon.
Russian gas: “Completely miscalculated”
On the issue of Russia’s energy dependence, Knill pressed for an exit. Recently, Austria’s dependence on Russian natural gas has increased again. “We can no longer trust this source,” says Knill. When asked about OMV’s supply contract with Russia’s Gazprom, which was extended from 2018 to 2040, Knill said that Russia “completely miscalculated” and that Austria was misled.
Knill did not see the sanctions against Russia without effect. However, the West’s influence is limited as long as several states, such as China and India, continue to do business with Russia.
Despite the further increase in Russian supply volumes, one must continue to assume that Russia will stop supplying gas overnight. It is therefore a matter of guaranteeing a reliable and accessible supply of gas for the coming years. It therefore needs other supplier countries, such as Norway or the Gulf States, and infrastructure for imports, such as liquefied gas terminals and gas pipelines. In addition, the hydrogen strategy must be implemented, hydrogen is the “gas of the future”.
Propaganda for the Mercosur agreement
Knill also campaigned for more free trade. The planned Mercosur agreement with Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay concerns not only Argentine beef, but also sales markets for Austrian exporters. Knill cited climate protection as an argument for the Mercosur agreement: In the free trade agreement, countries would also commit to complying with the Paris climate agreement. For Austria, there is potential here in exports and green technologies.