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"Outside it's getting cold, inside it's getting hot! We are once again on the verge of collective bargaining negotiations! What does that mean? As an employed bicycle courier (genuine employment contract), since 2020 your employer must adhere to the collective agreement for bicycle couriers, where minimum conditions (the bottom line!) regarding salary, working hours, mileage allowance, Christmas and holiday bonuses, etc., are stipulated. This agreement is renegotiated every year by a team of works council members, union representatives, and industry representatives. Our demands for the 2024 collective agreement are:
1. Salary Increase: Salaries and allowances should be increased by an amount corresponding to compensation for inflation and reasonable real wage growth, but at least to EUR 2,000.
2. Maintenance of Overpayment: Individually agreed monthly salaries exceeding the collective agreement minimum wage should be increased by the same amount as the increase in the collective agreement minimum wages. This is particularly important for our colleagues in the western regions, where the cost of living is higher, and higher wages were originally paid, but increases have been lacking in recent years.
3. Article XVII. Salary Table: Salary category/salary table – Salary increases based on length of employment beyond the 1st year of employment and from the 5th year of employment.
4. SEG Allowance (Dirt, Hardship, and Danger Allowance): Introduction of a weather-related allowance, which is due if a certain weather phenomenon occurs on the respective calendar day and at the location of the start of service (at least XY °C, snowfall, wind speeds over XY km/h, etc.).
5. Fairness Fund: A working group should prepare the establishment of a "common institution of social partners." This "Fairness Fund" should financially support bicycle couriers in the event of illness or unemployment. It will be funded by payments from employers, based on the number of freelancers and self-employed bicycle couriers employed in the respective company.
6. Lump Sum for High-Revenue Companies: Companies (corporations) that generate annual revenues of more than 15 million euros should make a reasonable one-time payment to their employees. This should be at least 0.5% of the annual revenue divided by the number of employees and their agreed normal working hours (= full-time equivalents).
Which demands do you think are the most important? Let us know at: LINK
Here's a brief overview of what has been achieved so far:
•In 2023, we achieved an 8.5% increase in the minimum wage to €10/h.
•In 2022, the minimum wage was €9.21, working hours are limited to 5 days per week, and there is a 50% surcharge for Sunday work.
•In 2021, the minimum wage for bike couriers was €8.90 per hour or €1,539.98 for a full-time position, and the mileage allowance was raised to €0.24/km.
In 2020, the collective agreement was negotiated for the first time, establishing full Christmas and holiday bonuses, reimbursement for mileage when using your own bicycle, provision of appropriate protective clothing by the employer, and payments for the use of your own phone. The minimum wage was €8.71, and the mileage allowance was initially set at €0.14.
You can see that even though there has only been a collective agreement in our industry for a short time, some improvements have been achieved. Without the collective agreement, to which all businesses in Austria must adhere according to the Labor Constitution Act, things would unfortunately look bleak. This was evident in Foodora/Mjam and Lieferando, both of which waived holiday and Christmas bonuses because it is regulated by the collective agreement, not by law. The same applies to mileage allowance, surcharges, etc.
However, the collective agreement only regulates the absolute minimum; every business is free to pay more!
The success of negotiations depends on our strength! The more members the union has in this industry, the stronger its negotiating position. If workers do not support the negotiations, employers feel no pressure to accede to the union's demands.
What can you do to support the negotiations? There are several ways, and the more you use, the better:
2. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter,, or contact us by email; attend our events and get to know your colleagues!
3. Talk to your colleagues about it, show or give them our flyer, and invite them to join our chat groups!
4. Show your support at the negotiation meeting by gathering outside the doors or windows!
