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From ‘Protecting Indigenous Workers’ towards Protecting Labour Standards?

Austrian Trade Unions and the Transnationalisation of Labour Markets in the EU
  • Torben Krings

    Torben Krings is Associate Professor at the Department of Economic and Organisational Sociology, Johannes Kepler University Linz, Austria. His main research interests include migration and mobility, work and employment, and European societies.

Veröffentlicht/Copyright: 27. Januar 2022

Abstract

The article examines how the Austrian trade union movement has responded to increased cross-border mobility in the context of labour market opening in 2011. Instead of opting for restrictions, an unrealistic policy in any case, the main emphasis now is on the enforcement of labour standards. Unions pursued this issue primarily through the Austrian social partnership, which fostered a comprehensive re-regulatory response. However, under the radar of inclusive bargaining institutions, incidents of non-compliance remain a challenge, especially involving cross-border subcontracting. Thus, a nationally-bounded enforcement strategy reaches its limits in transnational labour markets. This is increasingly acknowledged by unions who are complementing their partnership approach with more emphasis on transnational cooperation and initiatives that are geared towards the inclusion of mobile workers.

About the author

Torben Krings

Torben Krings is Associate Professor at the Department of Economic and Organisational Sociology, Johannes Kepler University Linz, Austria. His main research interests include migration and mobility, work and employment, and European societies.

Acknowledgements

I would like to thank two anonymous reviewers for very helpful comments on earlier versions of this article.

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Appendix: List of Interviews

  1. Austrian Trade Union Federation (ÖGB), Dep. of Collective Bargaining and Legal Affairs, Vienna, 9/3/2017.

  2. Chamber of Labour Vienna (AK Wien), Dep. of Social Policy, Vienna, 8/3/2017.

  3. Construction Workers’ Annual Leave and Severance Pay Fund (BUAK), Vienna, 10/3/2017.

  4. Federation of Austrian Industries (IV), Dep. of Labour & Social Affairs, Vienna, 10/3/2017.

  5. Federal Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs and Consumer Protection (BMASK), Division Labour Law and Labour Inspectorate, Vienna, 9/3/2017 (Interview 1).

  6. Federal Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs and Consumer Protection (BMASK), Division Labour Market, Vienna, 29/3/2017 (Interview 2).

  7. Economic Chamber of Austria (WKO), Dep. of Construction, 8/3/2017.

  8. Economic Chamber of Austria (WKO), Dep. of Social Policy, 9/3/2017.

Published Online: 2022-01-27
Published in Print: 2021-12-20

© 2021 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston

Heruntergeladen am 28.10.2025 von https://www.degruyterbrill.com/document/doi/10.1515/zsr-2021-0013/html
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