Austrian Chemical Industry Reaches New Labor Agreement After Strikes

After protracted negotiations and strikes, a new collective labor agreement has been finalized for around 50,000 employees in Austria's chemical industry. The agreement, reached in the eighth round of talks, brings a modest increase to wages and salaries.

Under the new terms, current wages and salaries will rise by 1.8%, capped at a maximum of 100 Euros per month. Additionally, employees will receive a one-time payment of 300 Euros or be granted an extra day off. Minimum wages and salaries, as well as apprentice incomes, will see a 2 percent increase.

The negotiations were based on a rolling inflation rate of 3.35 percent. The previous minimum gross wage in the collective agreement stood at 2,477 Euros. While employee representatives had pushed for a 3 percent wage increase, employers initially proposed a much lower raise, citing wage freezes in Germany and offering only 0.5 percent plus the 300 Euro payment or 2 percent starting in October 2026.

Union negotiators attributed the breakthrough to the "fighting power of the workforces," stating that employers had insisted on a "de facto zero wage round" for six rounds. It was only after works council meetings, warning strikes, and temporary walkouts that "movement was brought into the negotiations." Strikes had occurred as recently as Wednesday, with a dispute arising over the legality of strikes while the old agreement was still in effect. The unions maintained their right to strike.